Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes Debra Germany, founder of Divine Intervention Ministries (DIM). DIM started in 2002 by using billboards to bring attention to unsolved murders and to find community solutions to crime. It also sought to soothe grieving family members who lost their loved ones to violence. In 2006, the organization changed direction, and focused on restoring the lives of incarcerated adults and at-risk youth by launching the Interceding Making Positive Actions Come Together (IMPACT) program. Ms Germany will discuss this program in depth and share other ways in which this organization helps the Pittsburgh community.

Michelle Sie Whitten is the Co-Founder, President and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (Global). Global is dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education, and advocacy. Ms. Whitten will discuss the mission of the foundation and her other work associated with Down syndrome.

Joyce welcomes Mathew McCullough, executive director of the District of Columbia Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), which promotes independence and equal opportunity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Mr. McCullough will discuss the mission of the organization.

Joyce welcomes Todd Bankofier, CEO of Audio Eye, Inc. Incorporated in 2005, AudioEye provides enhanced web access and usability for its customers. AudioEye's custom and proprietary Digital Accessibility Platform testing suite automatically detects Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 success criteria violations and details best practices to remediate issues. Mr. Bankofier will discuss how Audio Eye is helping companies improve digital accessibility.

Michelle Sie Whitten is the Co-Founder, President and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation (Global). Global is dedicated to significantly improving the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education, and advocacy. Ms. Whitten will discuss the mission of the foundation and her other work associated with Down syndrome.

January 24, 2017 Joyce welcomes Charlie LaVallee, CEO of Variety - the Children's Charity of Pittsburgh. Variety's mission is to provide children with disabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania with unique programs, experiences, and adaptive equipment so they may live life to the fullest. Mr. LaVallee will discuss the charity's programs and services overall, but specifically highlight the "My Bike" Program, which provides adaptive bikes to children with disabilities so they may have the freedom of a bike and the joy of riding alongside friends.

Joyce welcomes Lainey Feingold, US disability rights lawyer and author who works with the blind community on technology, digital, and information access issues. She will discuss her book, Structured Negotiation; A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits was published by the American Bar Association in 2016. Lainey is widely recognized for negotiating landmark accessibility agreements with organizations as diverse as Walmart, Bank of America, and Major League Baseball. She was recognized as a California Lawyer Attorney of the Year in both 2000 and 2014. For more information about Lainey or her book, please visit: http://www.lflegal.com/ or follow her on Twitter at @LFLegal.

Joyce welcomes Jeremy Shapira, head of special projects inclusion and diversity at Giant Eagle, Inc. Giant Eagle in Pittsburgh, PA has a long history of hiring and training workers with disabilities. For decades, the O'Hara-based supermarket chain has counted among its employees people who are deaf, blind or have other disabilities. Mr. Shapira will discuss the program the supermarket has in place to include people with disabilities into the workforce.

Joyce welcomes Apoorva N. Gandhi, Marriott International vice president, multi-cultural markets and alliances to the show. Gandhi is responsible for creating and executing an externally focused global strategy that builds preference and loyalty from diverse customer segments for the Marriott portfolio of brands. Mr. Gandhi will ensure the company's marketing, sales, and operations consider and reflect multi-cultural markets and alliances as Marriott continues its growth around the world. Mr. Gandhi will share his commitment to encourage the hiring of people with disabilities at Marriott International.