Episodes

Joyce welcomes Elijah Armstrong, a student at Penn State University in Pennsylvania, who has started an organization called Equal Opportunities for Students. The organization teaches self-advocacy by informing people of their rights under federal law and also explores issues of social justice. Elijah will discuss when his self-advocacy began, what made it necessary for him to stand up for himself and what led to his passionate stance that anybody with a disability needs to learn the skills to ad...

Christine Griffin is a disability rights leader and search consultant at Bender Consulting Services, Inc. She will discuss her background at Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) within the federal government, the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts and her work at the White House.

Joyce welcomes, Dustin Gibson, another 2019 American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Hearne Emerging Leader Award Winner to the show. Dustin works beside community members and grassroots organizations to lead campaigns and build coalitions to eliminate police violence, address community needs, end the criminalization of students -specifically African American disabled students. He advocates for the implementation of policy and legislation to reduce harm. He will discuss his work i...

Joyce welcomes Frances West, an internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, author, strategy advisor, and women-in-technology trailblazer known for her work in innovation, technology, and business transformation. She is the founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on operationalizing inclusion as a business and technology imperative through her unique Authentic Inclusion™ blueprint. She will discuss her work in depth during the show.

Joyce welcomes Laurie Henneborn a managing director within the Accenture Research organization. She has operational responsibility for the global teams dedicated to supporting the research and thought leadership needs of the Digital, Technology and Operations Businesses and their related initiatives. This includes managing program budgets and related third-party content subscriptions. Laurie's research capabilities include market research and competitor intelligence, thought leadership creation,...

Joyce’s honored guest is disability advocate, Sarah Blahovec. Sarah is a recipient of the 2019 AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award given out at the 2019 American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Leadership Award Gala on March 12th in Washington, DC. Diagnosed with severe Crohn’s Disease at age 15, she has always had a passion for politics and focuses her advocacy on civic engagement and issues that intersect the chronic illness and disability communities. The AAPD Paul G. Hea...

Joyce welcomes Todd Bankofier, CEO of AudioEye, Inc. AudioEye provides enhanced web access and usability for its customers. AudioEye’s custom and proprietary Digital Accessibility Platform testing suite automatically detects Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) access criteria violations and details best practices to remediate issues. Mr. Bankofier will discuss how AudioEye is helping companies improve digital accessibility.

Joyce welcomes Laurie Henneborn a managing director within the Accenture Research organization. She has operational responsibility for the global teams dedicated to supporting the research and thought leadership needs of the Digital, Technology and Operations Businesses and their related initiatives. This includes managing program budgets and related third-party content subscriptions. Laurie's research capabilities include market research and competitor intelligence, thought leadership creation,...

Joyce welcomes Colleen Starkloff co-founder, with her husband Max, of the Starkloff Disability Institute. This 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is dedicated to helping people with disabilities participate fully and equally in all aspects of society. Founded in 2003, the organization works on changing social attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities through activities that send a positive message about living with disability in order to create a world that welcomes them. Ms. Stark...

Joyce’s honored guest is Pittsburgh’s own, Rob Pratte. Rob is a long-time NewsRadio KDKA host and former Pittsburgh cable TV host. Rob will discuss his career in broadcasting, and why his compassion for people with disabilities is important to him. He will also explain how and why that compassion compels him to feature topics affecting people with disabilities on his shows.

Joyce welcomes Robert Wong, CEO of Control Bionics to the show. The mission of this company is enabling communication for people living with paralysis or loss of speech. The company has developed a truly innovative way to accomplish this. It's greatest reward is returning the joy of communication to people who have lost their ability to communicate. Mr. Wong will discuss the various products and services provided for this population.

Joyce welcomes Regina Heyward, senior vice president and head of supplier diversity at Wells Fargo and Company. Founded in 1852, this financial institution is a diversified, community-based financial services company. Headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,600 locations. Ms. Heyward will discuss this company’s commitment to a diversified workforce, including hiring individual with dis...

Joyce welcomes Gerald Homme, product manager of Bender’s Careers 2B competency-based workforce development program, Leanne Thomas, account manager for Bender Consulting Services, Inc., and Jenny Homme, business analyst with Highmark Health Solutions to the show. Each guest will explain their role in the Careers 2B program, which is designed to increase the professional level experience and marketability of early career professionals with disabilities. Founded in conjunction with Bayer Corporatio...

Joyce welcomes Jennifer Mathis, deputy legal director and director of Policy and Legal Advocacy of the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. She engages in litigation and policy advocacy to promote community integration of individuals with mental disabilities, other non-discrimination work under the ADA and Section 504, and the Medicaid rights of adults and children with disabilities. During the show Ms. Mathis will explain her duties in-depth.

Joyce welcomes Claiborne Haughton, president and CEO of Haughton Group, LLC to the show. In addition, Mr. Haughton is a motivational speaker and Equal Opportunity Diversity Consultant. He will explain his duties in each capacity and explain why he is known as father of the United States Department of Defense Program for individuals with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Andy Imparato,executive director of The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). AUCD is a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. Members consist of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRC). These programs serve and are l...

Joyce welcomes Joan D’ Alessandro, founder of Christopher’s Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to feeding the caregivers of children admitted to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Christopher’s Kitchen is committed to helping families and caregivers take care of themselves, so they can better comfort those around them.

Joyce welcomes Pastor Scott Stevens, the directional leader, overseeing Campus Pastors and the Teaching Team at North Way Christian Community to the show. Pastor Stevens will discuss the importance of giving back to the less fortunate during this time of year and year-round. In doing so, he will share the programs and services his church provides the community all year long.

Joyce welcomes Steve Suroviec, president and CEO and David Tinker, vice-president of Advancement of ACHIEVA. This non-profit organization was founded in 1951 by a group of family members who all desired the same thing, to ensure their children with disabilities had the same chances in life that all children should be given. Their commitment helped to establish a nationwide movement that changed the long history of isolation and segregation for both children and adults with disabilities. ACHIEVA ...

Continuing with recognizing November as National Epilepsy month, Joyce welcomes Allison DeBattista executive director of Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana (EAL). Ms DeBattista will discuss the programs and services of the EAL that bring greater awareness and treatment for those living with epilepsy in Louisiana.

Joyce welcomes Peggy Beem Jelley, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Association of Western and Central PA. Ms. Beem Jelley will discuss the programs and services of this non-profit organization to help those who are living with epilepsy Western and Central PA.

Joyce welcomes Kathy Schrag, executive director of Epilepsy Alliance Ohio to the show. Ms. Schrag will discuss the programs and services of this non-profit organization to help those who are living with epilepsy in Ohio.

Joyce welcomes executive board members of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), William Ris and John Register to the show. AAPD is the largest membership organization of people with disabilities in the country. Guests will discuss their roles within AAPD in-depth.

Joyce welcomes Joan Stein, president and CEO of Stein Consulting, LLC. Joan’s company works with its clients to find answers, options and opportunities. Focusing on ADA compliance, event planning and operations and fund development, the company provides consulting services to employers and can assist with compliance with newly-implemented OFCCP regulations. It also provides litigation support to companies faced with ADA litigation. Ms. Stein will discuss the company mission in depth as well as b...