Episodes

Joyce welcomes Amy Lott, nurse, musician, and person living with epilepsy. Amy will discuss her life with epilepsy, and how that led her to meet the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Tony Coelho. Through her personal story, she hopes to inspire other young people living with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Katherine Archuleta, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), with the federal government. On May 23, 2013, President Obama appointed director Archuleta to lead the agency responsible for attracting and retaining an innovative, diverse and talented workforce to make the federal government a model employer for the 21st century. Ms. Archuleta will discuss the hiring successes associated with President Obama’s Executive Order to increase employment of Americans with disa...

Joyce welcomes Robert DeLucia, owner of Veterans’ Taxi Service to the show. Mr. DeLucia discusses this relatively new company to the Pittsburgh, PA market which offers a choice to patrons who have only had one cab company, Yellow Cab, for years. Veterans’ Taxi offers the public an affordable service that is on par with Yellow Cab. That means its drivers — military veterans — are independent contractors who lease the vehicles and charge the same rate as the Yellow Cab taxi service. Several of the...

Joyce welcomes Edwin Black, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling international investigative author of 120 award-winning books in 14 languages in 65 countries. He has also written scores of newspaper and magazine articles in leading publications of the United States, Europe and Israel. With more than a million books in print, his work focuses on genocide and hate, corporate criminality and corruption, governmental misconduct, academic fraud, philanthropic abuse, oil addiction, alternati...

Joyce welcomes Judy Painter, retiring executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central and Pennsylvania (EFWCP), to the show.

Joyce welcomes Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president and CEO of RespectAbility, USA to the show. Jennifer will discuss the mission of this non-profit organization and its on-going efforts. RespectAbility, USA is helping the 57 million Americans with disabilities achieve the American dream. In RespectAbility’s version of that dream, Americans with disabilities are respected members of the workforce and wield significant political power.

Joyce welcomes to the show, David Morrissey, executive director of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), Tony Coelho, former congressman and author of the ADA, Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor, Jill Houghton, executive director of the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and Dick Thornburgh, former PA Governor and former U.S. Attorney General. Each guest will talk about the recent efforts to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Di...

Greg Smith, host and founder of the nationally syndicated On A Roll talk radio, is one of the most dynamic voices in the disability movement today. Born in Bay Springs, Mississippi in 1964, Smith was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Smith started On A Roll as a local AM radio program in Phoenix in 1992, expanding it to include more than 70 national stations in the next 11 years. During the show, he will talk about his extensive career in the disability rights movement.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Suzanne Mellon, President of Carlow University since July 2013 to the show. Dr. Mellon comes to Carlow University from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she had served as Executive Vice President and Professor since 2009. She will discuss her mission and goals for Carlow University during her tenure. In particular, she will discuss her continued commitment to students with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes William Kiernan, appointed the dean and research professor at the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development at UMASS Boston. He is also the director of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCED). He will discuss his expertise with transition, employment and public policy development, workforce development and systematic change.

Joyce welcomes to the show, David Morrissey, executive director of the United States Council on Disabilities (USICD), Tony Coelho

Joyce welcomes 13-year-old Autumn Bishard to the show. Autumn, who lives with cerebral palsy, was named National American Miss Pennsylvania Junior Teen for 2013, while also winning the spirit award and being named the fourth runner-up for the spokes model competition. She will discuss her recent title, and how she plans to use the platform to empower all girls to be the best they can be no matter what struggles or obstacles get in their way.

Joyce’s special guest this week is Santa Claus, whom Joyce will be interviewing about his preparations for this special holiday. During the hour, Joyce will share Santa’s perspective on the importance for all of us to share our time and resources with everyone in need, not only during the holidays, but year-round, and discuss how important it is for us to love one other and work together for the common good.

Joyce welcomes Bonnie Rubin, executive director of the Project for Freedom, and Pat Serey, Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania’s chief development and marketing officer and vice president of its southwestern region to the program. They will discuss the 2013 merger between these two groups. Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania is a faith-based human service nonprofit organization. The organization has a wide-range of programs and services that help seniors, adults, youth and children reach for...

Joyce welcomes Eric Walrabenstein, an author, speaker, founder of Operation Bootstrap and nationally-recognized expert in the fields of yoga and mind/body health. Eric’s Operation Bootstrap Program is designed to help returning veterans and their families cope with the effects of post traumatic stress disorder and other psychological effects of war. This first-of-its-kind program combines modern scientific stress-management principles with the ancient mind/body wisdom of yoga to return both body...

Joyce welcomes back Charlie LaVallee, CEO of Variety, The Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh. Variety’s mission is to provide children with disabilities in Southwestern Pennsylvania with unique programs, experiences, and adaptive equipment so they may live life to the fullest. Mr. LaVallee will discuss the organization’s “My Bike” Program, which provides adaptive bikes to children with disabilities so they may have the freedom of a bike and the joy of riding alongside friends.

Joyce welcomes Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. As a person living with epilepsy, Tony will discuss his experiences living with epilepsy. He will also share updates on the attempt by the senate to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Patricia A. Shiu, director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the U.S. Department of Labor. She leads a staff of nearly 800 men and women around the country who are dedicated to protecting workers, promoting diversity and enforcing the law. Over the years, OFCCP’s authority has been expanded by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. She will be discussing the Obama Administration's landmark 503 regula...

Joyce welcomes Phil Gattone, CEO of the national Epilepsy Foundation. As November is National Epilepsy Month, Mr. Gattone will discuss the foundation’s efforts to promote public awareness of epilepsy and end the stigma that is often associated with it.

Joyce welcomes Judy Painter, president and CEO of Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central PA to the show. In recognition of National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Ms. Painter will share a wide range of information about epilepsy including what it is and the different types of seizures there are. Also Ms. Painter will discuss the programs and services her organization provides to support people living with epilepsy and their families.

Joyce welcomes Josie Badger, former 2012 Ms. Wheelchair USA, and person living with Muscular Dystrophy. Josie works at the Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership Center as Youth Coordinator for the Family to Family Grant, assisting youth in transition and leadership development. Josie is also a LEND fellow for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and is working to create the Children’s Hospital Advisory Network for Guidance and Empowerment (CHANGE). Ms. Badger will discuss her current w...

Joyce welcomes Andy Imparato, executive director of The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). This is a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. These programs serve and are located in every U.S. state and territory and are all part of universities or medical centers. They serve as a bridge between the university and the community, bringing together the resources of both to achieve meaningful change....

Joyce welcomes Carol Glazer, president of the National Organization on Disability (NOD). She will discuss in depth, the mission of the NOD, which is to expand the participation and contribution of America’s 56 million men, women, and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. It’s current focus is on improving employment prospects for America’s 29 million working-aged Americans with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes one of the nation’s leading authorities in the field of media and public advocacy, Neil Romano, president of The Romano Group. Mr. Romano was also nominated by President George W. Bush to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in 2007. During the show, Mr. Romano will discuss his past work with ODEP, and his continued commitment to the cause of employing people with disabilitie...