Disability Matters with Joyce Bender focuses on the employment and empowerment of people with disabilities. Episodes feature prominent disability leaders such as Congressman Tony Coelho, Governor Dick Thornburgh, Andy Imparato and senior executives from the private sector.

Listen right here, subscribe on your favorite podcast app, or tune in on VoiceAmerica Channel every Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST. The toll free caller/listener number is 1-866-472-5788. Tell your friends!

Disability Matters is one of the first international talk radio shows/podcasts with real-time captioning. Click here for real-time captioning during the show!

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Upcoming Disability Matters Podcast Episode

Danielle Filip: Importance of PA’s Act 57 Ensuring Interpreters

March 19, 2024 / 2pm – 3pm ET

Joyce welcomes Danielle Filip, Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Sign Language Interpreting Professionals (SLIP), back to the show. She will discuss Act 57, Pennsylvania’s interpreting legislation. Ms. Filip is working on this legislative initiative with State Representatives, Arvind Venkat and Rob Mercuri. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that Pennsylvania has enough trained interpreters to cover the communication needs of all Pennsylvanians who are deaf.

Recent Disability Matters Podcast Episodes

Encore Valerie Jarrett Receives Prestigious Tony Coelho Award

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.



Rabbi Fellman: Leading Effort to Include Disability Population

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce welcomes Rabbi Daniel J. Fellman, Senior Rabbi of Temple Sinai, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, to the show. They will discuss the healing process after the tragic event that took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 27, 2018. Rabbi Fellman will also discuss what they are doing at Temple Sinai to be more inclusive of the Jewish population of people with disabilities and share the purpose of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance & Inclusion Month (JDAIM) and how it was celebrated in February.



Kerry Stith: Committed to Disability Advocacy

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce welcomes Kerry Stith, PNC Bank’s Accessibility Director, to the show. Mr. Stith will explain his long history working for disability awareness and advocacy at PNC Bank and his work with Disability:IN’s Accessibility Leadership Committee.



Evan Frazier: Evan Frazier: Accomplishments of TALI

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT

In recognition of February as Black History Month, 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. Mr. Frazier will share the latest accomplishments for this organization that works to build African American leaders in the region.



Shaunda McDill: Advocate for Actors with Disabilities in Theater

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce is looking forward to having as her guest, Shaunda McDill, who joined Pittsburgh Public Theater as Managing Director in February 2023. Previously, she was a Program Officer at The Heinz Endowments, supporting a suite of Pittsburgh-based artists and arts organizations. With her vast background in theater and the arts, Ms. McDill will share her commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the theater and in the arts, as well as Pittsburgh Public Theater’s commitment to the cause.



Nedra Dickson: International/National Business Leader-Advocate

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT

In recognition of February being Black History Month, Joyce welcomes Nedra Dickson, international/national business leader and disability advocate to the show. Ms. Dickson is Managing Director, Global Supplier Inclusion and Sustainability Programs across 20 countries at Accenture. Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all these services. Ms. Dickson will discuss innovative employment methods for people with disabilities and her advocacy work to on behalf of all African Americans and unemployed.



Valerie Jarrett Receives Prestigious Tony Coelho Award

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.



Bender Consulting Services’ Search and Recruitment Plans for 2024

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce welcomes Gerald Homme, Manager of Talent Acquisition and Technology with Bender Consulting Services, Inc. to the show. Bender Consulting Services takes its motto: “Paychecks Not Pity” seriously, and Gerald will be discussing with Joyce the company’s aggressive search and recruitment plans for 2024 so that more qualified people with disabilities obtain competitive employment.



Bob Kafka: Disability Rights Leader Discusses Accomplishments

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce welcomes Bob Kafka, a disability rights leader and former national organizer of American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) to the show. He will discuss his life-long advocacy on behalf of all Americans with disabilities to live productive lives, independently.



Recording Artist/Manager Breaking Barriers for Disabled Artists

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Joyce welcomes back Lachi, recording artist, cultural activist, and go-to voice on disability culture in the music industry through her work on the GRAMMYs Board and as founder of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities). Joining Lachi, will be Arthur Gwynne, her operations manager, sighted companion, makeup artist, and cane designer. Arthur stepped away from his career in executive search at the AESC to work full time for Lachi. Both guests will discuss how they have made it their mission to break down the silos and barriers between disability-oriented projects and organizations, laying the seeds for a national conversation about disability culture and what inclusion and universal accessible design means at a practical and industrial level.



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You can find archived episodes of Disability Matters with Joyce Bender going back to 2005 on our VoiceAmerica Channel.

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