Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, former democratic congressman from California and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. As we get ready to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law, on July 26, 1990, Mr. Coelho will discuss the progress we have made since the ADA was passed.

Joyce welcomes Karen Hanlon, executive vice president and COO of Highmark Health, Inc. Ms. Hanlon will discuss her new role as COO. In addition, she will also discuss the corporate culture that David Holmberg, CEO has instilled throughout the organization, as well as the leadership beliefs she instills in her leadership team. Ms. Hanlon will explain why she believes Highmark Health is committed to an inclusive company for people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Jeremy Shapira and Kiersten Crosby to Disability Matters. Both guests are on the new Pittsburgh, PA-based Disability Inclusion Consortium. Jeremy Shapira is strategic manager, Inclusion and Diversity for Giant Eagle, and Kiersten Crosby is managing director, Corporate HR Service Delivery, Diversity, Diversity & Inclusion for FedEx Ground. Led by Giant Eagle, FedEx Ground, and the United Way of Southwestern PA, the Consortium is made up of 30+ Western PA employers who are making it a business imperative to hire more people with disabilities. These employers have discovered successful ways to leverage an untapped talent pool to satisfy their hiring needs and realize business benefits. Mr. Shapira and Ms. Crosby will explain the goals of this group in depth.

Joyce welcomes Christine Griffin, immediate past chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Also included will be Ari Ne'eman board member of the AAPD. Discussed on the show will be the overall mission of AAPD and an in-depth discussion of their roles within the organization.

Joyce welcomes two members of the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council (PaRC), David Mann, current chair of the PaRC and Claire Senita the organization's vice chair. The PaRC is a statewide citizens group created to advise the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) about how well its programs and services match the needs of people with disabilities. The mission of the Council is to inform and advise the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Legislature, and the Governor on the diverse issues affecting employment of people with disabilities. The guests will discuss this mission in depth and the current projects the group is working on.

Joyce welcomes Larry Kleinman, executive vice president, chief human resources officer for Highmark Health. Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh, PA based enterprise that employs more than 40,000 people who serve millions of Americans across the country, is the second largest integrated health care delivery and financing network in the nation based on revenue. Highmark Health is the parent company of Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, and HM Health Solutions.. Mr. Kleinman will discuss the company's commitment to hire people with disabilities in the Highmark Health organization.

Joyce welcomes Erik Jimenez, disability leader and senior policy director in the Nevada State Treasurer's office. He will discuss his political career and his work on the legislative committee for the Nevada Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Gerald Homme, recruitment specialist for Bender Consulting Services, Inc. to the show. Gerald will discuss Bender's Career2B initiative. The Careers2B initiative is a program designed to increase the professional level experience and marketability of early career professionals with disabilities. Founded in conjunction with Bayer Corporation and Bayer MaterialScience LLC, the objective of Careers2B is for people with disabilities to gain the work experience required to increase their marketability to prospective employers. Careers2B addresses the lack of work experience that has been identified as a major and systemic barrier to employment for individuals with disabilities. Gerald will discuss how the program works and how candidates are selected by Bender Consulting Services, Inc. to meet the requirements of the program.

Joyce welcomes Claudine Malone, director of programming for the Beau Biden Foundation and Joshua Alcorn, its chief operating officer, (COO) in Wilmington, DE to the show. The Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children was created to honor Beau Biden's life's work: ensuring children are free from the threat of abuse. Each guest will discuss their role with this foundation and the programs and services it offers.

Joyce welcomes Allegheny Health Network (AHN), Orthopaedic surgeon, Robert Schilken, MD, and Matthew Aaron, president and CEO of Special Olympics Pennsylvania to the show. Both guests will explain their roles with the Special Olympics of PA (SOPA) and how being a part of the Special Olympics program is beneficial for the staff, volunteers, and athletes with disabilities alike.