Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes Michael Gamel-McCormick, disability policy director, Special Committee on Aging for Senator Bob Casey, Ranking Member and Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) to the show. Both men will offer their perspective on the U.S. House of Representatives recent passage of HR-620. The House bill is poised to gut title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act by removing any incentive for businesses, organizations, and anyone who provides services to the public to make their services accessible if passed in the U.S. Senate.

Joyce welcomes Andy Houghton, co-founder of iDisabilityTM along with members of the iDisability™ production team for a closer look at this enterprise-wide eLearning Solution. Launched at the 2016 US Business Leadership National Conference, iDisability™ educates organizations and ensures employees have the foundations required to: effectively communicate with, interview, hire, accommodate, and engage people with disabilities in the workforce; build and implement an effective and measurable strategic approach to disability inclusion across the enterprise; and remain abreast of emerging and evolving strategies for disability inclusion and engagement.

Joyce welcomes Barbara Merrill, CEO of ANCOR, which is the American Network of Community Options and Resources headquartered in Alexandria, VA. Ms. Merrill will discuss the ANCOR Foundation and its mission. ANCOR is conducting a three-year national public awareness campaign to convey the value and importance of community services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, highlight the support networks that enable them to succeed, and shine a positive light on the successes of community integration and the role of providers in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be active, valued, and contributing members of their communities.

Joyce welcomes Emmy award-winning video journalist, Stacia Kalinoski, to the show. Stacia, whose career has taken her to local news stations in Nebraska, Oregon, and Michigan, will discuss how being diagnosed with epilepsy after a seizure in 2014 led her to produce Brainstorm, a documentary about her journey with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes vice president of Multi-Cultural Markets and Alliances for Marriott International, Apoorva Ghandi to the show. Mr Ghandi will discuss his role with the organization and why he is so committed to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities by hiring them. He will also touch on why he believes the unemployment rate among people with disabilities is high. In addition, he will discuss the work of Marriott International with the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN).

Joyce welcomes Joe Strechay, director of the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (BBVS). Mr. Strechay will discuss his duties with this non-profit organization, and its mission.

Joyce welcomes Jenny Lay-Flurrie, chief accessibility officer at Microsoft, leading efforts to drive great products, services, and websites that empower people and organizations to achieve more. Ms. Lay-Flurrie will discuss how her team is at the forefront of creating positive experiences that apply technology to make a difference in the world and the lives of individuals—from how we hire and support people with disabilities in employment to innovative technology that aims to revolutionize what is possible for people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Kevin Lynch, CEO and president of the Quell Foundation. Mr. Lynch will discuss, the mission of the organization. The Quell Foundation strives to reduce the number of suicides, overdoses and incarcerations of people with mental health disabilities. The organization works to accomplish its goals by encouraging people to share their stories, increasing access to mental health services, providing a pipeline of future mental health care professionals with scholarships, and training first responders to recognize mental health crisis warning signs among their own ranks.

Joyce welcomes Kaitlyn Lore, winner of the 2017 Sam Miller Award; Gerald Homme, chairman of the Bender Lead On Team: and Ginny Emerson, mother of the late, Sam Miller, to discuss the Bender Lead On Team. The Bender Lead On Team assists high school and college students in the areas of setting career goals and championing anti-bullying efforts. The team provides a forum for young people with disabilities to speak out about instances of bullying and to support others who may be involved in similar situations. Gerald will discuss the Bender Lead On Team, his duties as chair, and his personal experience with bullying. In 2012, under Gerald’s leadership, the Bender Lead on Team established the Sam Miller Award, sponsored by Bender Consulting, to recognize a young leader who embodies the mission of the Bender Lead On Team. The award was named for Sam Miller, a dedicated member of the Bender Lead On Team, who died by suicide in 2011. Before death, Sam supported young people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Joan D' Alessandro, founder of Christopher's Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to feeding the caregivers of children admitted to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Christopher's Kitchen is committed to helping families and caregivers take care of themselves, so they can better comfort those around them.