Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships, with Bender Leadership Academy back to the show. Scott is pleased to include Jason Desantis and Brooklyn Walker, current high school students participating in the Bender Student Leaders Program sponsored by the Bender Leadership Academy. They will share their experiences in the program and explain how the program has helped them prepare for the world of work.

Joyce welcomes to the show, Kathy Chamberlain, Director of Development & Special Projects at The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and Jill Bazelon, who proudly serves on the Center's Board of Trustees to help live out the groundbreaking work of her grandfather. As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the guests will discuss the prevalent stigma around mental health and the progress that is being made to overcome it by countless Americans with mental health disabilities. They will also discuss Bazelon's 2023 fundraising gala.

Joyce welcomes Helena Berger, Chair of the FDR Legacy Committee's Board of Directors and Mary E. Dolan, Executive Director, to the show. The FDR Memorial Legacy Committee serves to preserve the memory of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's catalytic involvement in issues of equality and freedom – especially for people with disabilities. The guests will be sharing the committee's plans to protect the FDR Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial from flooding as a result of repairing part of the Tidal Basin seawall.

Joyce welcomes back Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships, with the Bender Leadership Academy to the show. Scott will discuss the non-profit organization's participation in Highmark Health's Walk for a Healthy Community on Saturday, May 13, 2023, and the programs and services offered by the Bender Leadership Academy to young people with disabilities.

Joyce is thrilled to have as her guest, country music superstar, Ty Herndon, to the show. Mr. Herndon will discuss his career in the country music industry and living with bipolar disorder, which was diagnosed at the age of 59. He will share why he supports the Bender Leadership Academy's #NotAshamed campaign and discuss his 10-episode podcast, Soundboard, featuring conversations with artists discussing their struggles and wins along their mental fitness journeys.

Joyce is honored to welcome John Kemp, the American disability rights leader who co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities and is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama to the show. He will discuss his work as a disability rights leader and his book, "Disability Friendly: How to Move from Clueless to Inclusive," which was published in October 2022.

Joyce welcomes Andrea Carelli, Senior Vice President and Director of Client and Community Relations for PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, PA. Andrea will discuss PNC's commitment to hire people with disabilities as a part of their diverse workforce.

Continuing with Women's History Month, Joyce is proud to bring back Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Highmark Health, Karen Hanlon, to the show. She will explain her commitment to hiring people with disabilities as a diverse part of the workforce.

Joyce welcomes Isaac Zablocki, ReelAbilities Film Festival Co-Founder and New York Director. Mr. Zablocki will talk about this year's ReelAbilities Film Festival and the festival's mission to bring the community together to explore, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of shared human experience through film. He will speak to the importance of diversity in films and how the ReelAbilities Film Festival strives to make films and productions more accessible to the disabled and non-disabled communities.

Joyce and callers reflect on the life and disability rights work of the late Judy Heumann.