Episodes

Joyce welcomes Louis Olander, Ph.D., Director of Research and Veterans’ Initiatives at Disability:IN. As a veteran and advocate, Mr. Orlander will share his work with Disability:IN, and the ways in which the organization supports veterans with disabilities, in honor of Memorial Day.

Joyce welcomes back to the show Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships, Lisa Krause, Secretary and Board Member and Evan Frazier, Board Member of the Bender Leadership Academy. Among the topics discussed will be the mission of the Bender Leadership Academy and plans for the 4th Annual Mary Brougher Memorial Golf Outing at River Forest Country Club in Freeport, PA on Saturday, August 16, 2025, to benefit the Mary Brougher Mental Health Initiative.

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 Health, advancements made in treating those with mental health disabilities and Moore’s advocacy for mental health awareness worldwide.

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 mission of the Bender Leadership Academy and the plans for EQT Corporations participation in Disability Mentoring Day, Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

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 was elected to the PA House of Representatives in 2013. Among other topics, he will discuss his upcoming Disability & Mental Health Summit, a free event in Western PA that brings hundreds of people and participating organizations together to share information on a wide range...

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 Turcotte Sr. Director, Supplier Inclusion at Disability:IN. The guests will highlight the mission of the organization and the benefits of being members. Lastly, they will discuss plans for the Disability:IN Global Conference and Expo is July 14th - July 17th in Orlando, FL.

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 share her duties at the Institute and discuss the latest advancements in treating those on the Autism spectrum.

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 first victim service agency in Allegheny County, and one of the first rape crisis centers in the nation. The agency was incorporated as a non-profit entity in 1972 and has been providing essential no-cost services to victims of sexual violence in Allegheny County for 50 years...

Joyce welcomes the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer, John F. Walsh III and Andrew Houghton, Co-Founder of iDisability®, to the show. As leaders in disability employment and accessibility, Joyce serves as Chief Executive Officer of Bender Consulting Services, Inc., and Andrew as President of DisabilityInclusion Solutions. Discussed will be John's appointment after incredible growth of iDisability since its founding in 2016, and the planned direction of the organization under its new le...

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 connecting its members with the right resources to meet their whole health needs. Among the topics Ms. Duffield will cover with listeners include: her story of how she became the President and CEO of Highmark Wholecare, who is eligible to become a member of Highmark Wholecare, an...

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 webinar sponsored by Bender Consulting Services, Inc. The webinar, Master Resume Building & Networking in a Changing Job Market, was held virtually on Monday, March 10, 2025. The webinar provided insight into resume preparation for people making a career change. Topics cov...

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 disabilities to address bullying, pursue education, and achieve their career goals. During the show, the guests will share how to support this worthwhile organization and highlight the missions of the Ready to Lead and Junior Student Leaders program. Joining them will be Alex Walmsl...

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 developing innovative, accessible, and transformative solutions through digital manufacturing.

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.