Episodes

Joyce welcomes Meredith Ryan-Reid, vice president at Marsh USA and treasurer of the board of directors of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). She will discuss the work of the AAPD, including the benefits to companies who support them. Meredith will also discuss her leadership in the area of employment and empowerment of people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Richard Denness, the new CEO of the national Epilepsy Foundation who will discuss his goals for the organization, supporting people living with epilepsy and their families.

Joyce welcomes back Kevin Bales, world renowned author, expert on modern slavery, and president 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 David E. Hale, sr. director of development and communications, for the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Mr. Hale will discuss the upcoming 2011 AAPD Leadership Awards Gala, scheduled for Tuesday, March 15, 2011 in Washington, DC.

Joyce welcomes Dinah F. B. Cohen, director, Department of Defense (DoD) Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP). Discussed on the show will be her role within CAP to work closely with senior leadership throughout the federal sector to ensure employees, beneficiaries, and members of the public with disabilities have equal access to federal services and employment. Over 97,000 requests for accommodations have been filled since CAP’s inception in 1990.

Joyce welcomes 2010 Philadelphia Eagles cornerback, Geoffrey Pope to the show. He will discuss his volunteer work with the national Epilepsy Foundation and the upcoming National Epilepsy Walk, Sunday, March 26, 2011 in Washington, DC. Pope is again serving as team lead for the Gridiron Gang, a walk team established to honor his grandmother, who has epilepsy, and to encourage young athletes to pursue their dreams despite living with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Dave Myers, director, global product marketing, sleep therapy for Philips Respironics and another representative from the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Heart Association. When he was 34 years old, Dave experienced some significant angina and was diagnosed with coronary artery disease; he had a stent placed in his left anterior descending coronary artery which was 99% blocked. Dave will share his story and stress the importance of supporting the efforts of the American Heart A...

Joyce welcomes Bender Consulting Services, Inc. director, Neal Lutz and managers, Jamie Watts and Mike Gravitt to the show. They will discuss the impact that employment has on the lives of people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes author, and inspirational speaker, Bonnie St. John who will discuss her book and radio show of the same name, Live Your Joy.

Joyce welcomes Bill Wolfe, executive director of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF). Mr. Wolfe will discuss in depth, the mission of this non-profit organization, which is to serve as a voice for the homeless children of Allegheny County, PA and to ensure they are afforded equal access to the same educational opportunities and experiences as their peers.

Joyce welcomes Chris Kobus, president of the board of directors for Variety the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Kobus will discuss the mission of this charity, which assists children with mental and physical disabilities and other health challenges, 21 years of age and under, in a 10 county area of southwestern Pennsylvania. Also discussed will be the organization’s recent fundraiser, a two-day Radiothon on Q-92.9 FM, in Pittsburgh, PA.

Joyce welcomes former NFL player and current ESPN broadcaster, Merril Hoge to her show. Adding author to his list of credentials, Mr. Hoge will discuss his book, Find A Way: Three Words That Changed My Life. This book chronicles his story of how he overcame non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and provides inspiration on how to navigate difficult times

Back by popular demand, we will be rebroadcasting the November 23, 2010 edition of Disability Matters with Joyce Bender on December 14, 2010. Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities. Discussed on the show, will be his personal experience, as a person living with epilepsy. He will reflect on the changes that have taken place in the lives of people with disabilities, including those w...

Joyce welcomes Betsy Valnes, executive director of the National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN). The NYLN is a youth-led organization that works to build power among people with disabilities between the ages of 16-28 years. The organization works to support young people in their role as the next generation of leadership in the disability rights movement.

Joyce welcomes Ken Lowenberg, Senior Director of Communications, national Epilepsy Foundation. He will be discussing his efforts to lead the Foundation’s collaboration with the actor Greg Grunberg to create TalkAboutIt.org – a website bringing together Hollywood celebrities, epilepsy advocates, and the general public to help improve the national conversation about epilepsy. Mr. Lowenberg will also discuss the recent Foundation collaboration with producer JJ Abrams, who dedicated the New York Cit...

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities. Discussed on the show will be his personal experience as a person living with epilepsy. He will reflect on the changes that have taken place in the lives of people with disabilities, including those with epilepsy, since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990.

Joyce welcomes chair-elect of the national Epilepsy Foundation, Dr. Brien Smith, from Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Smith will discuss the importance of National Epilepsy Month, the problems that occur for people living with epilepsy when name brand medications are switched to generic brands, and the latest medical research that is being done in the field to help those living with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Ryan Dillon, who is living with epilepsy, and a member of the Epilepsy Foundation’s national board. After moving to our nation’s capitol to serve as a congressional aide, Ryan finally brought his seizures into the light, by embracing epilepsy and using his experiences to empower others and help raise awareness. As a result of a 5 minute seizure in July 2008, Ryan chose to speak out on the subject, in hopes of raising awareness. Ryan encourages those with epilepsy to tell their sto...

Joyce welcomes Kristin Schkade, Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation’s National Youth Council, which is comprised of 10 young adults, ages 18 to 24 who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in the epilepsy community. Ms. Schkade will discuss her experience on the council and her work as manager of the Epilepsy Foundation’s Texas youth camps.

Joyce welcomes Crosby Cromwell, senior manager of Corporate Affairs at Wal-Mart. She will discuss the company’s commitment to hiring people with disabilities as part of their workforce.

Joyce welcomes Carol Glazer, president of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), Roger DeRose, president of Kessler Foundation, and Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, a service of Harris Interactive. Discussed on the show, will be an in-depth look at the missions of both organizations. The NOD promotes employment and the full participation of America’s 54 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life; while the mission of Kessler Foundation is to improve quality of l...

Joyce welcomes Carol Glazer, president of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), Roger DeRose, president of Kessler Foundation, and Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll, a service of Harris Interactive. Discussed on the show, will be an in-depth look at the missions of both organizations. The NOD promotes employment and the full participation of America’s 54 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life; while the mission of Kessler Foundation is to improve quality of l...

Joyce welcomes Andy Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Mary Davis, vice president, IT Infrastructure Solutions for CSC. They will discuss the upcoming conference on employment of people with disabilities on November 8, 2010 sponsored by CSC and the events of Disability Mentoring Day, October 20, 2010.

Joyce welcomes Brenda High, author of Bullycide In America, and founder of Bully Police USA, a watch-dog organization - advocating for bullied children and reporting on state anti-bullying laws. She will discuss in depth, the origin of the creation of her book, this organization and of www.jaredstory.com. Brenda’s son Jared committed Bullycide as a result of being beaten up and bullied at school. In addition she will discuss ways that the problem of Bullycide is being addressed across the countr...