Episodes

Joining Joyce is Gus Siekierka, Corporate Vice President, Human Resources for Computer Sciences Corporation. Since joining CSC in 1973, Mr. Siekierka has managed the full spectrum of human resources functions, including HR strategy, employment, compensation and benefits, human resources development, employment and labor relations and policy formulation.

Mike Simmel, creator of “Mighty Mike Basketball” and member of the Harlem Wizard professional basketball team joins Joyce to discuss his work as a national spokesman for Epilepsy Awareness. He has spoken for the Epilepsy Foundation of Western/Central Pennsylvania's Spring Spectacular in May 2005. He constantly looks to donate his time and talents encouraging and advocating for people, especially children, who have epilepsy and other disabilities.

Joining Joyce is Cheri Ann Blauwet, Paralympic medal winner, medical school student, coach for youth with disabilities and founder of the International Institute for Disability Advocacy. Cheri is the 2004 AAPD Paul Hearne Leadership Award winner and nominee for the 2005 Laureus World Sport Award within the category “World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability”.

Joining Joyce is Marcie Roth, Executive Director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA). Join Joyce & Marcie as they discuss the mission of this organization, and the impact that the recent hurricanes in the Gulf have had on people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

Joining Joyce is Daniel W. Sutherland, Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Join them as they discuss the need for emergency preparedness on the local, state and national levels, especially in the wake of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf region.

Helen Roth, CEO and Owner of HCR Disability Consulting in Logan, Utah joins Joyce to talk about the mission of her consulting firm. The mission of her consulting firm is to obtain and fulfill contracts to undertake disability research, media presentations, training, technical assistance and a variety of other disability-related professional tasks.

John Lancaster, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) will make his second appearance with Joyce Bender on “Disability Matters”. Join us as we discuss the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Independent Living Centers in Biloxi, MS and New Orleans, LA.

The United States Business Leadership Network and the NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, in conjunction with the United States Chamber of Commerce, gave its CEO Leadership 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Jay Van Vechten, past president and founder of Van Vechten & Company. The award was presented in recognition of Van Vechten's efforts to raise awareness about the special needs of people with disabilities.

Joining Joyce is Dan Rossi, associate executive director of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Pittsburgh to discuss their 13th Annual Community Heroes Dinner, held on October 5, 2005 at the Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA.

In November 2005 Business Leadership Network chapters and employers across the US join together for a 3 day event which provides networking, education and resources related to the business case for employment of people with disabilities and marketing to customers with disabilities. Attendees typically include employers whose corporate policies include workers and customers with disabilities and those that want a good resource for starting to develop best disability practices. Join Joyce as she t...

Ralph Baker, Vice President Finance & Administration for the Federal Sector of Computer Sciences Corporation joins Joyce.

The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is dedicated to advancing the next generation of disability leaders. Joining Joyce is Peter Squire, Chairman of the NYLN (nyln.org) to talk about the mission of the NYLN Network, a group that aims to promote leadership development and education of youth with disabilities, so that all youth with disabilities may achieve their maximum unique personal potential.

Disability Matters with Joyce Bender

Tim Daly is the founder and CEO of The Access Group and author of “Ramping Up for Profits”, a book full of facts, perspectives and anecdotes that will support your company's efforts to build a disability-friendly culture. Tim, an individual with a disability, would like to help remove negative attitudes that cause barriers and poor service to people with disabilities. Join Joyce and Tim as they discuss the mission of The ACCESS Group Inc., a Columbia, Maryland based motivational speaking and con...

This show is dedicated to honoring the life and work of Idar Sloan Dart’s father, the late disability rights leader Justin Dart Jr. On the day of Idar’s appearance, we celebrate the 15th anniversary of this landmark legislation signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. Best known as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Justin Dart Jr. is often referred to as the Martin Luther King of the disability civil rights movement; he thought of himself in much more humb...

Former Governor of Pennsylvania and Attorney General of the United States, Dick Thornburgh and his wife, Ginny Thornburgh will be the honored guests of Joyce Bender. Discussed on the show will be Mr. Thornburgh’s reflections on the Americans with Disabilities Act as we prepare to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this landmark legislation signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. Additionally, Ginny Thornburgh will reflect on being selected as one of three distinguished re...

The Honorable Tony Coelho, former Democratic California Congressman and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be Joyce’s guest. They talk about the impact the ADA has had on the lives of people with disabilities, since it was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990. Mr. Coelho is also the new Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation.

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) was founded after five key leaders from the disability community (who were instrumental in drafting, advocating for and passage of the landmark civil rights law, the Americans with Disabilities Act -ADA) met to organize what they believed would be the next logical step for people with disabilities -- creation of a national, non-partisan organization that can and will represent 54 million Americans with disabilities. Joyce welcomes Andy Impa...

The Solutions Marketing Group (www.disability-marketing.com) is a marketing consulting firm dedicated to providing businesses with innovative marketing strategies that target consumers with disabilities. Join Joyce as she welcomes founder and president of SMG, Carmen Jones. Carmen's passion is to create win-win relationships between companies and the disability community.

The "Targit Trainer" exercise machine was created by Marty Hoge's business partner Matt Siaperas, to promote the value of exercise in improving health and fitness, as well as self-esteem for everyone, including people with disabilities. As we learned from Merrill Hoge's last appearance, August 24, 2004, both brothers are proponents of the idea to "Find a Way" to overcome whatever obstacles present themselves in life; this is especially true for people with disabilities.

Joining Joyce is Bill Brenneisen, Vice President of Human Resources at the Institute for Transfusion Medicine (ITxM). Discussed on the show, will be the mission of the Institute, which is to provide a number of clinical, diagnostic, and consulting services to Pittsburgh area hospitals, the Central Blood Bank of Pittsburgh, and the community at large, regarding blood related issues.

David Lepofski, Chair of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee, will be featured with Joyce Bender. The Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee is a coalition of individuals with disabilities and over 100 disability organizations advocating for enactment and effective implementation of new disability access legislation in Ontario, Canada to achieve a barrier-free Ontario for 1.9 million people with disabilities.

EnabledOnline.com is the online version of the Enabled in Words magazine, a magazine dedicated to the real lives, real victories of people with disabilities. Enabled in Words is tomato soup for when your soul needs something a little different", says Jim Brady, former White House Press Secretary for President Ronald Reagan. Join us as Joyce speaks with Keith Landry, president of EnabledOnline.com.

Joyce welcomes Beth Loy, Ph.D, a Clinical Assistant Professor at West Virginia University, and a Human Factors Consultant, as well as, Linda Carter Batiste, J.D., a Disability Rights Lawyer with the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). JAN is a free consulting service designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities by: providing individualized worksite accommodations solutions, providing technical assistance regarding the ADA and other disability related legislation, and educating...