Episodes

Joyce welcomes Ken Spangler, senior vice president, Information Technology, and CIO for FedEx Ground He will discuss the company’s commitment to diversity, including hiring people with disabilities. Mr. Spangler will also discuss what he believes it means to be successful in the IT industry.

Joyce welcomes Matthew Ray, EVP and CIO for Highmark, Inc. He will discuss Highmark’s long-standing commitment to hiring people with disabilities, the company’s demonstrated experience in this area, and what he believes it means to be successful in the information technology industry.

Joyce welcomes John Walsh, vice president and program manager, TSA ITIP, Enforcement, Security, and Intelligence Group for CSC. He will discuss CSC’s commitment to hiring people with disabilities, the company’s demonstrated experience in this area, and what he believes it means to be a successful in the IT industry.

Joyce welcomes Rex Althoff, Chief Information Officer and President, Technology, Federated Services Company, a division of Federated Investors, Inc. He will discuss the importance of hiring people with disabilities and his past experience in this area and what he believes it means to be a leader in the IT community.

IDAR Dart, daughter of the late Disability Rights Leader, Justin Dart, will be discussing her father’s life-long mission to ensure that people with disabilities obtain civil rights.

Joyce’s honored guest will be Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) of the United States Senate. As we approach July 26th, the anniversary of the signing of the ADA, Senator Harkin will discuss his April 2011 speech to the United States Chamber of Commerce in which he discusses the current state of employment of people with disabilities, and his challenge to U.S. businesses to improve that employment outlook. He will also reflect on the impact that President Obama’s signing of the executive order last year ...

Joyce welcomes Mark Perriello, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). The AAPD is the largest cross-disability organization for people with disabilities. Mr. Perriello, who has had a visual disability since childhood, has a proven track record of increasing organizational standing with decision makers through creative and high-impact grassroots and grass-tops programs across America. As a political strategist, he has overseen highly successful efforts t...

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and immediate past chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) to the show. Mr. Coelho will discuss his personal experience as a person living with epilepsy. In addition, he will reflect on the changes that have taken place in the lives of all people with disabilities since the ADA was signed in to law on July 26, 1990.

Joyce welcomes Commissioner Karen Tamley, from the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to the show. Ms. Tamley was named Commissioner of the MOPD by Richard M. Daley in March of 2005. MOPD promotes total access, full participation and equal opportunity people with all types of disabilities with the goal of making Chicago the most accessible city in the nation. Ms. Tamley will discuss her job duties in the position; as a person with a disability, she will also discuss her career-lo...

Joyce welcomes Marca Bristo, board president of United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), to the show. Ms. Bristo will discuss the organization's mission, to catalyze and help focus the energy, expertise and resources of the US disability community and the US government to optimize their impact on improving the lives of and circumstances of people with disabilities worldwide. She will also discuss the organization's commitment to the disability community in Japan, as they reco...

Back by popular demand, we will be re-airing the May 31, 2011 Disability Matters with Joyce Bender show featuring 18 year-old Connor Doran, champion indoor kite flyer and person living with epilepsy. Connor will discuss how he became interested in kite flying, his recent notoriety as a contestant on America’s Got Talent in 2010, and how he has used kite flying and subsequent publicity to increase awareness of epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Peter Rousseau, to the show. Mr. Rousseau will discuss living with Asperger's Syndrome as a child and as an adult, including his techniques for dealing with childhood bullying. He will also share how he is using this experience to inspire other students with Asperger’s and other disabilities to deal with bullying and focus on achieving their goals.

Joyce welcomes 18 year-old Connor Doran, champion indoor kite flyer and person living with epilepsy. Connor will discuss how he became interested in kite flying, his recent notoriety as a contestant on America’s Got Talent in 2010, and how he has used kite flying and subsequent publicity to increase awareness of epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Evan Frazier, senior vice president of community affairs for Highmark, Inc. to the show. Mr. Frazier will discuss plans for the 31st National Paralyzed Veterans Wheelchair Games. Highmark is a corporate sponsor of the event which will take place August 1-6, 2011 in Pittsburgh PA. The event is the largest annual wheelchair sports competition in the world. It offers 17 different sports to veterans who use wheelchairs. The games promote rehabilitation, through rigorous competition in...

Joyce welcomes Debbie Scott, district school-to-work transition coordinator New Castle County Vo-Tech School District in Delaware and David Scott, graduate of the Bender Leadership Academy Program. Debbie will discuss her work with other teachers in the district to develop the Bender Leadership Academy in conjunction with Bender Consulting Services, Inc. and CSC in Delaware to prepare students with disabilities for the world of work, to teach them methods to address bullying and to become respon...

Joyce’s honored guest is Chai Feldblum, Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC released its final regulations to implement the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) on March 24, 2011. The regulations are designed to simplify the definition of “disability” and make it easier for people with disabilities to establish that they are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Commissioner Feldman will discuss the work the Commission did over the past mo...

Joyce welcomes Diane DuFour-Gaudio, who is affiliated with the Beaver Valley intermediate Unit, holding various positions over the past 30 years, from instructor to her current position as Transition Consultant for the Beaver County School Districts. Also on the show will be Nathan Bowden, a sophomore with the Hopewell School District in Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. DuFour-Gaudio and Mr. Bowden will discuss their work to prevent bullying among youth in our schools. In response to the bullying crisis occu...

Joyce welcomes Dr. Brien Smith, chair-elect of the national Epilepsy Foundation. Discussed on the show will be his goals for the organization during his two–year tenure as chair, which will begin in mid-May 2011.

Joyce welcomes Mike Schneck , president of the board of directors of Variety the Children’s Charity. The organization’s mission is to assist children with mental and physical disabilities and other health challenges, 21 years of age and under, in a ten county area of southwestern Pennsylvania by providing services such as wheelchairs and other devices to help them enrich their lives. Mr. Schneck will discuss his new appointment to the post and the direction he plans to take the charity during hi...

Joyce welcomes Brandon Macsata, Managing Partner of the Macsata–Kornegay Group, Inc.(TMKG) and advocate for people with disabilities. TMKG is a national political and fundraising consulting firm specializing in grassroots campaigns, media messaging and fundraising. In addition to this work, Brandon will discuss his advocacy work on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS and his advocacy work on behalf of seniors in an assisted living facility in North Carolina.

Joyce’s honored guest is Chai Feldblum, Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC released its final regulations to implement the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) on March 24, 2011. The regulations are designed to simplify the definition of “disability” and make it easier for people with disabilities to establish that they are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Commissioner Feldman will discuss the work the Commission did over the past mo...

Michael Keenan, member of the board of directors, national Epilepsy Foundation will discuss the 2011 Boots & Suits Gala, to benefit the national Epilepsy Foundation on Tuesday March 29, 2011, his work with the national Epilepsy Foundation, and his personal commitment to empowerment of people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes back live, Kevin Bales, world renowned author, expert on modern slavery, and co-founder of Free the Slaves, the U.S. organization of Anti-Slavery International (the world's oldest human rights organization). He will continue his discussion on how we can end human trafficking.

Joyce welcomes Brett Eisenberg, executive director for Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS), which is an independent living center in New York. He will discuss his role and the mission of this organization.