Episodes

Joyce welcomes Kristy Trautmann, executive director of the FISA Foundation to the show. The FISA Foundation seeks to build a culture of respect and improve the quality of life for three populations in southwestern Pennsylvania: women, girls and people with disabilities. The organization makes charitable grants to nonprofits serving those groups. Ms. Trautmann will discuss the various programs and services of the organization in-depth.

Joyce welcomes Greg Pollock,vice president of Human Resources and Accessibility Officer at PNC Financial Services. He currently works at PNC’s corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA.. He will discuss the commitment of of PNC to hire a diverse workforce, including those with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Charlie LaVallee, CEO of Variety the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh to the show. Variety – the Children’s Charity is a non-profit organization that strives to enable children with disabilities to live life to the fullest with a focus on mobility, communication, and social interaction / inclusion throughout 64 counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Mr. LaVallee will discuss the various programs and services of the organization and its goals for 2020.

Joyce welcomes Michael Kiel, author of the book, Challenge the Moment, and state board member of the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to the Show. Mr. Kiel, will discuss the book in detail. This memoir is about his perspective on life - his entire life - before, during, and after a life-altering spinal cord injury. He shares many of his highs and lows, the importance of humor, and the incredible support around him. His brutally honest life story, along with his poems, and humorou...

Joyce welcomes three disability leaders, Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living; Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN; and Maria Town, president and CEO of American Association of People with Disabilities to the show. The guests will discuss issues, accomplishments, and trends in the community to keep Joyce's listeners appraised on what is happening on a national basis in the area of disability. They will reflect on the past year and what to...

Joyce welcomes Pastor Scott Stevens from Northway Christian Community Church’s Wexford, PA location on this Christmas Eve show.

For a special holiday gift to her listeners, Joyce welcomes international musician, Scott Mulvahill to the show. Scott is a Frontman, singer/songwriter, world-renowned upright bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. For the past decade, Scott has left his unique mark on the intersecting worlds of Americana, bluegrass, folk, jazz, rock & roll, and roots music. Already acclaimed for his work alongside icons like Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby, he turns a new page with Himalayas, a versatile solo album...

Joyce welcomes Leigh Ann Davis, director of Criminal Justice Initiatives for The Arc of the United States and oversees The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD), a clearinghouse for research, information, evaluation, training and technical assistance for criminal justice and disability professionals. She serves as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) and Vera Institute of Justice...

Joyce welcomes Dionna Harris, guidance counselor with Networks School of Employability Skills based in Newark, Delaware. Networks prepares students to become productive members of a workforce. This is accomplished by combining career technical education and employability skill training through the operation of 11 community-based enterprise areas. A hands-on instructional approach is supported by equipment and technology as textbooks and each enterprise area as a classroom. Ms. Harris will explai...

Joyce welcomes Peggy Beem-Jelley, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Association of Western and Central PA to the show. In recognition of November as National Epilepsy Awareness Month, discussed on the show will be the programs and services of this local association for people living with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes best-selling novelist and disability advocate Karin Slaughter; Gerald Homme, recruitment specialist with Bender Consulting Services, Inc. and chair of the Bender Lead-On Team; and Sherry Lapaglia, manager of Talent Programs for Bender Consulting Services, Inc to the show. Discussed on the show will be the mission of the Bender Leadership Academy and its partnership with New York Times bestselling novelist, Karin Slaughter, to bring awareness and propose action to end stigma of all...

Joyce welcomes Randy Dearth, president and CEO of GCP Applied Technologies to the show. The company is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and sells chemicals and materials used in construction, as well as sealants and coatings used in packaging. Mr. Dearth will discuss the corporate-wide commitment that he and all levels of the organization have toward a diverse workforce including people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Sara Oliver-Carter, Duquesne Light Company’s (DLC) first chief diversity officer to the show. Ms. Oliver-Carter joined the energy provider on August 19, 2019 and is responsible for creating and advancing DLC’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy and associated initiatives. She will explain her vision for the company moving forward.

Joyce welcomes Scott Hammerstrom and Jill Zomp from Bender Consulting Services, Inc. to the show. The guests coordinate Disability Mentoring Day in Pittsburgh, PA with the largest participation of companies and high school students in the country. The show will be a discussion of Disability Mentoring Day in the United States and the positive impact that the day has on high school students with disabilities. This show is great to listen to if you want information about planning for Disability Men...

Joyce welcomes Dina L. Clark, head of diversity and inclusion for North America, Covestro. The company is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. During the show, Ms Clark will share her vision for the company and explain the commitment that Covestro has from the top with management on down to a diverse workforce includi...

Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN, formerly known as the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN). Disability:IN and Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) to the show. They will discuss the origin of October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Joyce welcomes Lou Orslene, co-director of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace. Mr. Orslene will explain his role a...

Joyce welcomes Derek Shields, president, ForwardWorks Consulting, LLC. and director, National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC). ForwardWorks has proven leadership and technical experience in disability inclusion, veterans integration, and youth in transition services, and successfully managed training, information technology research, branding, media and mentoring projects. Lets move forward together. NDMC aims to raise awareness about the importance and impact of mentoring in the lives of ...

Joyce welcomes Christopher M. Lee, Ph.D., managing director of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and Sam Evans IAAPs certification manager to the show. IAAP is a not for profit membership based organization for individuals and organizations that are focused on accessibility or are in the process of building their accessibility skills and strategies. The objective of this association is to help accessibility professionals develop and advance their careers and to ...

Joyce welcomes Jonathan Duvall, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology focusing on assistive technology for people with disabilities at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories. For his master’s thesis developed a sidewalk roughness standard for the United States Access Board to add guidelines for accessibility so that wheelchair users are not subjected to harmful levels of vibrations. For his doctoral dissertation focus...

Joyce welcomes Gary Dick, chief information officer of Highmark Health Solutions to the show. Mr. Dick will discuss his career, background and the value that the Careers2B program has brought to Highmark Health Solutions workforce. The Careers2B initiative is a program designed to increase the professional level experience and marketability of early career professionals with disabilities with hands-on workplace experience over a 12-month period.

Joyce welcomes Clarence A. Johnson, director, Diversity Management Operations Center, Defense Human Resources Activity, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel Readiness. This great leader in the disability community will share his accomplishments and discuss his current role and responsibilities in detail with the Department of Defense. There he directs the DoDs diversity and inclusion efforts around workforce recruitment efforts of college students and members of the community w...

Joyce welcomes returning guest, Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living to the show. NCIL is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. NCIL represents thousands of organizations and individuals including: Centers for Independent Living, Statewide Independent Living Councils, individuals with disabilities, and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people wit...

Joyce welcomes Maria Town, the new president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Ms. Town will discuss her diverse background before obtaining this new position and will share her vision for the organization.