Disability Matters

Joyce is pleased to have as her guests, the 2021 Paul Hearne Emerging Leaders Award Winners, Elijah Armstrong and Noor Perez, on the show. These young disability rights leaders will each explain what it means to them to have received this prestigious award in 2021 from the American Association of People with Disabilities. They will also share the current projects they are working on since receiving the award. Joining Joyce and our 2021 Paul Hearne Award Winners, at the beginning of this show, are Marcie Roth, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the World Institute on Disability (WID), and Tinamarie Duff, Global Lead for Bristol Myers Squibb's Disability Advancement Workplace Network (DAWN) people and business resource group. Marcie and Tinamarie will be discussing joint efforts by the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration (GADRA), WID, the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, ONG Inclusiva, and Fight for Right to evacuate people with disabilities from Ukraine and what you can do to support these efforts.

Joyce welcomes Raul Suarez-Rodriguez, Director, Global Economic Inclusion & Supplier Diversity at Merck to the show. For over 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of their mission to save and improve lives. They demonstrate a commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs, and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as they aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. Mr Rodriguez will share how Merck is championing the inclusion of people with disabilities within their hiring practices.

Joyce is thrilled to have as her guest, Michael Coffey, writer, and a producer of Triumph, starring, RJ Mitte. Mr. Coffey will discuss what inspired him to write and produce the movie, as well as his personal experiences as a person living with cerebral palsy, and his current projects.

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 18 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. They combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries – powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Ms. Dickson will discuss innovative employment methods for people with disabilities at Accenture.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Allegheny Health Network back to the show. Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew is known and respected nationally for her work to promote diversity in the workforce. Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew will share more about how the organization champions the hiring of people with disabilities as part of their diversity hiring practice.

Joyce is excited to have back to the show the returning champion of competitive employment for Americans with disabilities, David Holmberg, President, and CEO of Highmark Health. Mr. Holmberg launched an initiative in 2020 to hire 30 people with disabilities from Bender Consulting Services to honor the 30th anniversary of the signing of the ADA, called the Highmark 30/30. He continued this work in 2021 and hired 31 people with disabilities. It is amazing that under his leadership he has already set the bar for 2022 with a commitment to 32 hires from Bender Consulting Services. Even during the pandemic, Highmark was able to achieve the goal, becoming a national example. During the show, David will talk about the initiative and how it happened. Additionally, David will discuss how the company plans to continue its unprecedented record to hire people with disabilities in 2022. For this and so much more, Highmark will be receiving the 2022 Corporate Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) at the AAPD Virtual Gala taking place on April 28th. As the current Vice Chair and Past Chair of the Board of Directors at AAPD, Joyce will be part of this special award presentation to Highmark with David accepting the award. Joyce will share more about the AAPD Virtual Gala during the show, or as she refers to it, "the Academy Awards of Disability Rights."

Joyce is thrilled to welcome actor, advocate and philanthropist, RJ Mitte to the show. RJ will discuss his career in Hollywood and his experience breaking down stereotypes and changing public mindsets with his easy-going and positive outlook, through the unique lens of his lived experiences with cerebral palsy. Additionally, he will discuss what it meant for him to be a part of the cast of Breaking Bad, and his latest movie Triumph, which follows the story of a high school wrestler overcoming bullying and stigma.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Gerard J. Buckley, President of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology, (RIT) to the show. Dr. Gerard Buckley has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, including more than 20 years serving in a variety of capacities at NTID. During the show, Dr. Buckley will discuss both NTID and RIT's commitment to serving college students with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Emily Ladau, Disability Rights Activist, Communications Consultant, and Author to the show. Ms. Ladau will be discussing her advocacy work and her latest book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally.

Joyce welcomes Peter Blanck, Chairman, Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) to the show. Mr Blanck will discuss the mission of BBI and its latest efforts to reach around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, former dean of SU's School of Education and a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities.