Episodes

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 heartfelt stories, Ms. Smith empowers children to embrace their unique identities and teaches the importance of inclusion and compassion. She will share her own diagnosis of celiac and how a gluten-free diet led her to manage her condition. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serve...

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 supportive services and job training opportunities focusing on restoring and realizing their maximum potential spiritually, physically, and economically. Ms. Germany will share the programs and services available to support this mission and vision of the organization. Joyce A. B...

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 African American businesses prosper in the region. Barãta A Bey is a seasoned Community Development Officer with over 12 years of experience in DEI, community engagement, and finance within the banking industry. Skilled in developing innovative lending strategies and small busi...

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 companies, institutions, and communities. TALI is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion across all its work. Mr. Frazier will share his and the organizations latest accomplishments.

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 organization’s commitment to continue partnering with Bender Consulting Services, Inc. to hire people with disabilities as a valuable part of their diverse workforce. Bio of Larry Kleinman: Responsible for all aspects of human resources across Highmark Health, including compensation...

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 influence healthcare and what impact the shortage in healthcare labor may have in the future. Karen Hanlon Bio: A key leader, strategist and visionary for Highmark Health, helping to guide the organization’s mission to create remarkable health experiences that frees people to b...

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 hire people with disabilities, Ms. Rice-Johnson will highlight her duties organization-wide that assist the commitment to hiring people with disabilities. Bio of Deborah Rice-Johnson: CEO of Diversified Businesses for Highmark Inc. and chief growth officer. An innovative hea...

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. Holmberg launched an initiative in 2020 to hire 30 people with disabilities from Bender Consulting Services to honor the 30th anniversary of the signing of the ADA, called the Highmark 30/30. He and all of Highmark have continued this practice every year since and 2025 is no except...

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 Rights Pennsylvania to the show. They will discuss the accomplishments each organization has made in the last year and their goals for 2025.

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, to the show. Ms. Heumann worked with a wide range of activist organizations (including the Berkeley Center for Independent Living and the American Association of People with Disabilities), NGOs, and governments since the 1970s and contributed greatly to the development of hu...

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 the programs that this community of faith offers this holiday season and year-round.

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 will share what it means to her to be the recipient of the 2024 Pittsburgh Athena Award, the unique story of how the diaper bank became a reality, and how it impacts the lives of families in need in our community.

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 generate support for the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. WID helps assure that products and services are more accessible. It also promotes equity policies, provides consulting services, offers training and tools. WID also supports emergency, disaster, and climat...

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 workforce including people with disabilities.

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 United States. Ms. McQuone will discuss her work at GrayMatter and her work with EAWCP.

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. Valeriano is a sought-after speaker and expert on neurological issues and epilepsy. During the show he will discuss his career and the latest advances in the treatment of epilepsy.

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 the EAWCP, as well as the plans for the Mardi Gras Gala in March 2025.

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 programs impact the employment of people with disabilities and leads the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). ODEP works with employers and all levels of government to promote evidence-based policy that improves employment opportunities and outcomes for people with dis...

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 for health plans and their provider partners. Founded in 2014 as HM Health Solutions (HMHS), enGen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Highmark Health. enGen has more than 3,500 employees and works with health care plans serving more than 10 million members nationwide. Mr. Malec w...

To kick-off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, and The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the show. Disability:IN is a global, non-profit, non-partisan business to business network empowering businesses to achieve disability equality and inclusion. The guests will highlight the progress we have made in disability employment and the historic collaboration between Bender Cons...

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 the lives of young adults with disabilities. Ms. Freda will share the unique hiring program for young people with disabilities to prepare them for the world of work and her support of the various programs of the Bender Leadership Academy.

To kick-off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, and The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the show. Disability:IN is a global, non-profit, non-partisan business to business network empowering businesses to achieve disability equality and inclusion. The guests will highlight the progress we have made in disability employment and the historic collaboration between Bender Cons...

Joyce welcomes disability advocates Janni Lehrer-Stein and Ondréa Burton to the show. The topic discussed will be “The disability community realizing the power of the vote.”

Joyce welcomes Mark Johnson back to the show. Mark is a life-long disability advocate and a founder of American Disabled for Accessible Public Transportation and American Disabled Attendant Program (ADAPT). Mark will share his commitment to advocacy for Americans with disabilities even in retirement. He will share his past work with the Shepherd Center and his current involvement with the Disability Rights Museum Group.