Disability Matters
Competitive employment and empowerment for people with disabilities is the emphasis of this show. Broadcast live and captioned in real-time for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, we discuss how people with disabilities can secure career opportunities, and how employers, organizations and individuals can support employment and empowerment of people with disabilities.
Episodes
Joyce welcomes Joy Matoney, Vice President, Diversified Businesses & Growth Planning and Enablement at Highmark, Inc.
She will discuss her stellar career at Highmark, Inc. and her commitment to the Bender partnership to hire people with disabilities.
Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights
- Serves as CEO of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. and Board Chair and Founder of Bender Leadership Academy, a non-profit organization focused o...
Joyce welcomes Congressman Steny Hoyer and former Congressman Tony Coelho to the show. They will be discussing the 35th Anniversary of the ADA and what progress has been made over the years and what has not been fulfilled.
Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights
- Serves as CEO of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. and Board Chair and Founder of Bender Leadership Academy, a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to...
Joyce welcomes Mark Fleischer, Executive Producer, and Brady Patsy, Community Engagement Manager, with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) to the show.
Among the topics discussed will be current Pittsburgh CLO programs, the history of the organization, its partnership with the Bender Leadership Academy, and its plans for the 2025 Production of A Christmas Carol.
Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights
- Serves as CEO of Bender Co...
Joyce welcomes back to the show, Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships with the Bender Leadership Academy and Gerald Homme, Manager of Talent Acquisition for Bender Consulting Services, Inc.
Mr. Hammerstrom will talk about Bender Leadership Academy and its resent golf outing in memory of Mary Brougher and plans for the upcoming Disability Mentoring Day, Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Mr. Homme will share the n...
Joyce welcomes Jeanette Towles, Founder and CEO of Synterex, a Disability Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE).
Synterex is the home of AgileWriter.ai™, an AI-enabled authoring platform that prioritizes accessibility and gets your important information to the intended audience, be it plain language or technical content.
Ms. Towles will share her background as a seasoned and dedicated medical writer with extensive medical/regulato...
Joyce is honored to have back as her guest Christine Griffin, a strong disability rights advocate and current Bender Consulting Services’ Senior Search Specialist Consultant on the show.
During the show, she will be discussing her long career which includes her past work as Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Deputy Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during the Obama Admini...
Joyce closes Disability Pride Month, with Veronica Villalobos, Vice President of the Institute for Strategic Social and Workforce Programs for Highmark Health and Allegheny Health Network. She strives to ensure the workforce enables belonging and health access is achieved among members, patients, and communities in PA, western...
As part of Disability Pride Month, Joyce welcomes former Senator Tom Harkin back to the show. Senator Harkin will reflect on the significance of the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush.
Senator Harkin will share his thoughts on the work that still needs done to advance the lives of Americans with disabilities. Also, he will discuss the work of...
Joyce welcomes Jennifer Mathis, Deputy Director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health back to the show. Since 1972, the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has advocated for the civil rights, full inclusion and equality of adults and children with mental disabilities. Ms. Mathis will share how the Center was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990) and played a key role in ...
Joyce is honored to welcome “Dorthy” Doro Koch, author, businesswoman, advocate, and daughter of late President George H.W. Bush to the show. As we continue recognizing ADA Month and prepare to celebrate the 35th Annivers...
Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, former U.S. Congressman and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, back to the show. As celebrations around the Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary and Disability Pride month commence, it is important to recognize key advocates who led efforts to make the ADA the law of the land. Tony Coelho drafted the ADA and the ADA Amendments Act of 2007, restoring the original inte...
In recognition of June as Pride Month, Joyce welcomes Jonathan Lovitz, Senior Vice President of Campaigns and Communications, Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
During the show he will discuss his work as a nationally recognized leader in public affairs, economic policy, and strategic communications, with deep expertise in advancing inclusive growth through both government and nonprofit leadership.
Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights
In recognition of June as Pride Month, Joyce welcomes Evan Low, named president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, in March 2025.
During the show he will discuss his work with these organizations.
Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights
Serves as CEO of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. and Board Chair and Founder of Bender Leadership Academy, a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition ...
Joyce welcomes fellow Pittsburgh Business Times Woman of Influence recipient, Kate Musler, to the show. Kate is Highmark Health’s Chief Financial Officer and will share her responsibilities in that role, and what drives her to help Highmark continue to be a leader in the healthcare insurance ...
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 upcoming webinar sponsored by Bender Consulting Services, Inc., Transferable Skills for New Career Paths in Today’s Changing Job Search Environment. The webinar will be held on Monday, June 30, 2025.
BIO OF GERALD H...
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.
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