Episodes

Dr. Brien Smith, Medical Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and National Board Director of the Epilepsy Foundation will discuss epilepsy, and the civil rights work that he did on behalf of soldiers and veterans by testifying before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee about the need for Epilepsy Centers of Excellence to treat people with post-traumatic epilepsy.

Sandy Finucane, vice president of Legal & Government Affairs for the National Epilepsy Foundation, will discuss her organization’s efforts to bring awareness to epilepsy and to improve the lives of people with epilepsy, as November is National Epilepsy Month.

Joyce welcomes Michael Winter, Director of the Federal Transit Administration’s Office of Civil Rights. Discussed on the show will be his office’s full range of Federal civil rights responsibilities as they apply to the Federal transit assistance programs, including those under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

Joyce welcomes Coleen Vuono, Executive Director and Tammy McNaughton, Chairperson of the Pittsburgh Disability Employment Project for Freedom. Discussed on the show, will be the mission of this non-profit organization, which provides technology skills and training to individuals with disabilities and assists them in gaining competitive employment opportunities.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Christopher Rosa, Director of Student Affairs for Disability and Veterans Services for the City University of New York as her guest. Discussed on the show will be the university’s student affairs programs related to disability and veterans services.

Joyce welcomes Jim Dickson, Vice President for Governmental Affairs, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), and Ramón Garcia, Organizer of Just Vote Arizona! Disability Vote Coalition. Discussed on the show will be the AAPD Disability Vote Project, a broad coalition of 36 national disability-related organizations working to close the political participation gap for people with disabilities.

Back by popular demand, we will be rebroadcasting the October 31, 2006 addition of “Disability Matters with Joyce Bender” on Tuesday, October 2, 2007, with Joyce’s honored guest Doro Koch, daughter of the 41st President of the United States, and author of My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George H.W. Bush.

Joyce welcomes Robert Chamberlin, President and CEO of NISH. NISH is a not-for-profit organization, whose headquarters are in Vienna, VA. Their primary mission is developing job opportunities for people with severe disabilities under the AbilityOne Program. Mr. Chamberlin will be discussing its mission in depth.

Joyce welcomes Howard Cohen, Vice President of the Program Management Office (PMO) and Quality Office (QMO),.for WellPoint, Inc. in Thousand Oaks, CA and Mariana Nork, Senior Vice President for Communications & Development for the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) on Tuesday, September 18, 2007, from 2 PM to 3 PM Eastern Time. Discussed on the show will be Mr. Cohen’s recent participation in a 6-day 150 mile race across Chile to support the mission of the AAPD.

Joyce welcomes John R. Macko, Interim Director in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf Center on Employment (NCE) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), who will discuss the curriculum of this school with a national reputation for graduating qualified deaf students with disabilities in the areas of business and technology.

Joyce welcomes Joseph F. Lagana, Ed.D., Founder, of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF), who will discuss the mission of this Pittsburgh, PA – based non-profit organization, which was established in 1999 to supplement federal funding for the educational needs of local homeless children.

Joyce welcomes Andy Imparato, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, (AAPD) as her guest. Discussed on the show will be the mission of this national advocacy group, and its efforts to get the Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act passed in Congress. Also discussed will be his selection as Chair of the Ticket to Work and Initiatives Advisory Panel to the Social Security Administration.

Mr. Rob Mitlo, Director of Operations for Transport U, Inc., will be the featured guest on “Disability Matters with Joyce Bender” on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 from 2 PM to 3 PM eastern time. Discussed on the show will be this Pittsburgh-based company’s mission which is dedicated to providing transportation, and home accessibility services to people with disabilities.

Joan Stein, Founder and President of Accessibility Development Associates, Inc. (ADA, Inc.) will be featured with Joyce Bender on “Disability Matters” on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 from 2 PM to 3 PM eastern time. Discussed on the show will be emergency preparedness and accessibility issues as they pertain to people with disabilities.

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.

Mr. Mark Boxer, president & CEO of WellPoint’s Operations, Technology and Government Services Business Unit for WellPoint, Inc. will be discussing the company’s commitment to hire qualified people with disabilities.

Cheryl Sensenbrenner, Chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), discusses this role within the organization, and her efforts to help shape disability policy.

Mr. Bollinger, former deputy executive director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) from 1992 to 2006 will be featured with Joyce Bender on “Disability Matters” on July 10, 2007. Discussed on the show will be paralyzed veterans issues and AAPD’s VALUE program.

Joyce welcomes Bob Kafka, civil rights champion for Americans with disabilities and national organizer ADAPT. Bob will discuss the founding of the organization and its efforts to ensure the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Mark Johnson, Director of the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. Mark will discuss being the recipient of 2007 The Henry B. Betts Award.

Back by popular demand, “Disability Matters with Joyce Bender” will rebroadcast Alan Faneca, Left Guard for the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Discussed on the show was his volunteer work with the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central PA (EFWCP) and his personal experiences, as a person with epilepsy. The show was originally broadcast on Tuesday, November 7, 2006.

Erin Riehle, Founder and Senior Director of Project Search, discusses this Cincinnati, Ohio based non-profit organization, which was among the 2004 winners of the New Freedom Initiative Award. This award is given annually by the U.S. Department of Labor to businesses and people that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts in furthering the employment and workplace environment for people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Linda Dickerson, an accomplished civic leader, business advisor and non-profit consultant, in Pittsburgh, PA to the show. She will discuss her March 2007 appointment as CEO of the National Aviary.

Joyce welcomes Russ Holt, Founder and President of Access Information, Inc. Discussed on the show will be the mission of the organization which is devoted to information on the accessibility of restaurants and transportation in the Washington, DC metro area.