Episodes

May 13, 2025

Vesper Moore, Board Member, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To commemorate this, Joyce welcomes Vesper Moore, Board Member of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, to the show. Discussed will be the mission of the Bazelon Center for Mental Hea...
May 6, 2025

Hammerstrom/Davis: The Bender Leadership Academy Prepares for Disability Mentoring Day 2025

Joyce welcomes Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships, the Bender Leadership Academy and Sabrina Davis, Recruitment Marketing & Brand Specialist, EQT Corporation. The guests will share details about the missi...
April 29, 2025

PA State Representative Dan Miller: Discusses Legislative Accomplishments on Behalf of Those with Disabilities and Upcoming 2025 Disability Mental Health Summit

Joyce welcomes Allegheny County State Representative for the 42nd District, Dan Miller, to the show. Representative Miller will discuss his body of work as a state legislator and advocate for those with disabilities since he ...
April 22, 2025

Mission of Disability:IN and the 2025 Global Conference and Expo

Joyce welcomes Rosemarie Rosetti, Ph.D., a globally recognized expert on disability engagement, accessibility, and accessible meeting design. Joining her will be Artura Taylor, President and CEO of TGC Scientific and Cami Tur...
April 15, 2025

Nicole Clark: Expert on Autism Awareness Discusses the Latest Advancements in Treating This Population

April is Autism Awareness Month. To commemorate this, Joyce welcomes Nicole Clark Co-Founder and CEO of Adult and Pediatric Institute for Health and Wellness. She is also an expert on Autism Awareness insights. Ms. Clark will...
April 8, 2025

Sadie Restivo: Executive Director of PAAR Discusses How Organization Has Served Pittsburgh Community for over 50 Years

Joyce welcomes Sadie Restivo, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR). PAAR has been serving the Pittsburgh community for over 50 years through advocacy, counseling, prevention, and education. It was the f...
April 1, 2025

Walsh/Houghton: New CEO of iDisability and Co-Founder Discuss Direction of Organization Under New Leadership

Joyce welcomes the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer, John F. Walsh III and Andrew Houghton, Co-Founder of i Disability ®, to the show. As leaders in disability employment and accessibility, Joyce serves as Chief Ex...
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...