Episodes
March 25, 2025
Ellen Duffield: Highmark Wholecare Continues Long-Standing Commitment to Hire People with Disabilities
Joyce welcomes Ellen Duffield, President and CEO of Highmark Wholecare, to the show. Highmark Wholecare is a managed care organization caring for the whole person - physically, mentally, and socially. It is committed to conne...
March 18, 2025
Homme/Zomp: Bender Consulting Services Sponsors Webinar on Resume Building /Marketing Yourself in Today’s Changing Job Search Environment
Joyce welcomes Gerald Homme, Manager of Talent Acquisition and Technology and Jill Zomp, Talent Acquisition Coordinator with Bender Consulting Services, Inc., to the show. Joyce, Jill, and Gerald will be discussing the recent...
March 11, 2025
Hammerstrom/Rubin: The Bender Leadership Academy Prepares High School Students with Disabilities for the World of Work
Joyce welcomes Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships, and Bonnie Rubin, Senior Program Specialist with the Bender Leadership Academy, to the show. This non-profit organization empowers students with disabili...
March 4, 2025
Alexander Geht – Designer, Innovator, and Founder of Testa-Seat
Joyce welcomes industrial designer and entrepreneur, Alexander Geht, to the show. He will explain why he has dedicated his career to pioneering adaptive seating solutions for children with disabilities. He is dedicated to dev...
Feb. 25, 2025
Hannah Smith: Author/Advocate for Food Allergy Communities
Due to a program change, appearing on Disability Matters today is Hannah Smith, a passionate children's book author and dedicated advocate for the celiac and food allergy communities. Through her inspiring journey and heartfe...
Feb. 18, 2025
Debra Germany: Helping Current/Former Incarcerated Adults and At-Risk Youth Reach Full Potential
Joyce welcomes Debra Germany the Executive Director of Divine Intervention Ministries (DMI). DMI provides currently and formerly incarcerated adults and at-risk youth with coordinated resources that will connect them to suppo...
Feb. 11, 2025
Barãta A. Bey: Driving Mission of African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania
Tomorrow on Disability Matters, Joyce welcomes Barãta A. Bey, President, African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania to the show. He will share its mission and explain the ways that the organization helps Afr...
Feb. 4, 2025
Evan Frazier, President and CEO of The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI)
Joyce welcomes Evan Frazier , President and CEO of The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), back to the show. The Advanced Leadership Institute is an organization aimed at cultivating Black executive leadership to strengthen...
Jan. 28, 2025
Larry Kleinman: Highmark Health Hires People with Disabilities
Larry Kleinman: Highmark Health Hires People with Disabilities Joyce welcomes Larry Kleinman, Executive Vice-President, and Chief Human Resources Officer for Highmark Health, to the show. Mr. Kleinman will share the organizat...
Jan. 21, 2025
Karen Hanlon: Highmark Health’s Commitment to Diverse Workforce
Joyce welcomes Karen Hanlon, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Highmark Health. Ms. Hanlon will share her background and her role in the organization . She will also share her insights on how AI will inf...
Jan. 14, 2025
Deborah Rice-Johnson: Helping Highmark Stay Committed to Hiring People with Disabilities
Joyce welcomes Deborah Rice-Johnson, CEO of Diversified Businesses and Chief Growth Officer for Highmark Inc., to Disability Matters. As Joyce focuses January on the key figures within Highmark that drive its commitment to hi...
Jan. 7, 2025
David Holmberg: Highmark Grows Standard to Hire Disabled in 2025
Joyce is excited to start 2025 with the returning champion of competitive employment for Americans with disabilities, David Holmberg , President, and CEO of Highmark Health and Chairman of the Board, Highmark, Inc. Mr. Holmb...
Dec. 31, 2024
Town/Schuller/Radecic: Disability Rights Year in Review
Joyce welcomes Maria Town, President and CEO, of American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); Megan Schuller, Legal Director at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; and Peri Jude Radecic, CEO of Disability Ri...
Dec. 24, 2024
Encore Judith Heumann, Disability Rights Leader Discusses Memoir
As a special gift to listeners this holiday season here is a rebroadcast from December 15, 2020. Joyce welcomed the late Judith Heumann, internationally recognized leader in the disability rights independent living movement, ...
Dec. 17, 2024
Mercer, Libengood, Beggs: North Way Christian Communities’ Goals
Joyce welcomes Prayer Pastor Mary Mercer, Executive Pastor of Ministry, Shannon Libengood, and Digital Director, Amanda Beggs, from North Way Christian Community Church in Wexford, PA to the show. The guests will highlight th...
Dec. 10, 2024
Cathy Battle: Keeping Families in Need Supplied with Diapers
Joyce welcomes fellow 2024 Pittsburgh Athena Award nominee, Cathy Battle, to the show. Ms. Battle is the Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, which serves communities in Western Pennsylvania. Ms. Battle...
Dec. 3, 2024
Marcie Roth: December 3, 2024 - WID Promotes Disability Issues
Joyce welcomes Marcie Roth, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the World Institute on Disability (WID). Each year December 3rd is recognized to promote an understanding of disability issues and to generat...
Nov. 26, 2024
Nikki Lancaster Alphonse: Northrop Grumman’s Diverse Workforce
Joyce welcomes Nikki Lancaster Alphonse, Sr. Director Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Northrop Grumman Corporation. Ms. Alphonse will discuss her work with Northrop Grumman and the company’s commitment to a diverse workfo...
Nov. 19, 2024
Kerry McQuone: Epilepsy Advocate and Business Professional
Joyce welcomes Kerry McQuone, Board Member of the Epilepsy Association of Western/Central PA (EAWCP) and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at GrayMatter, an industrial technology and consulting company with offices throughout the...
Nov. 12, 2024
Dr. James Valeriano: Expert on Neurology and Epilepsy
As we continue to recognize November as National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Joyce welcomes Dr. James Valeriano, Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. ...
Nov. 5, 2024
Accomplishments of EAWCP/Plans for the 2025 Mardi Gras Gala
November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Joyce welcomes Peggy Beem-Jelley, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Association of Western/Central PA (EAWCP), to the show. They will be discussing the latest accomplishments of ...
Oct. 29, 2024
Taryn Mackenzie Williams: Shaping Disability Employment Policy
Joyce welcomes Taryn Mackenzie Williams, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, to the show. In this position, Ms. Mackenzie advises the Secretary of Labor on how the Department’s policies and prog...
Oct. 22, 2024
Mick Malec: enGen’s Commitment to Hire People with Disabilities
Joyce welcomes Mick Malec, CEO, enGen and Enterprise Technology and Operations Officer, Highmark Health, back to the show. enGen’s dynamic ecosystem of smart automation and technology supports streamline complex operations fo...
Oct. 8, 2024
Connie Feda: Proprietor Partners with Bender Leadership Academy
Joyce welcomes Connie Feda, Proprietor and Co-founder of Cookie Cookie Ice Cream in Kennedy Township, PA. Discussed on the show will be the partnership between Cookie Cookie Ice Cream and Bender Leadership Academy to enhance ...