Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes Lori Gregan, store manager at Roses for Autism. Ms. Gregan will discuss the Roses For Autism business, selling high-quality Pinchbeck flowers to local and nationwide customers alike. In addition, the business also offers training and assessment services to adults with autism spectrum disorder on-site, both inside and outside the floral operation. This affirmative experience prepares their students, participants, and contingent workers to find meaningful work that is well-suited to their unique skills and interests.

Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, executive director of the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and Patricia J. Richards, director of the USBLN Disability Supplier Diversity Program®. The guests will explain in depth, the USBLN mission to help business drive performance by leveraging disability inclusion in the workplace, and the Disability Supplier Diversity Program® (DSDP). The DSDP was developed and launched by the USBLN® to expand their supplier diversity programs to include businesses that are 51% or more owned, operated, controlled and managed by individual(s) with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Coach Jerry Kill, of the University of Minnesota Golden Gofers football team and Chanda Gunn, former Olympic hockey player to the show. Both individuals are among a group of athletes who are involved in a national campaign called Athletes vs. Epilepsy. This national Epilepsy Foundation campaign offers athletes the chance to compete in fundraising events to support the development of new therapies for people with epilepsy. In addition to discussion the Athletes vs. Epilepsy group, Coach Kill and Ms. Gunn will share their experience living with epilepsy and how they have overcome it.

Joyce welcomes John Kavanaugh, the vice president of finance for CSC's North American Public Sector. In addition to his executive role in the finance organization, John is also actively involved in CSC's Abilities First Network as one of its co-executive sponsors. Discussed on the show will be the CSC Abilities First Network, which serves people with disabilities working at CSC and their supporters, and is one of nine employee resource groups available at CSC. This group focuses on educating and raising awareness on a wide range of topics of importance to its membership and the greater CSC population, such as employment of people with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, and accommodation in the workplace.

Joyce welcomes Allegheny County executive, Rich Fitzgerald to the show. Discussed on the show will the Allegheny 365 program. The program is designed to ensure that all individuals, including those with disabilities, can engage fully in the broad spectrum of county services, year round. Allegheny County has complied with the spirit and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, in many cases, exceeded the legislative mandate. Still, the Allegheny 365 program strives to ensure that Allegheny County leads the nation in its delivery of services to individuals with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Jen Gilliland, who was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania 2014, during the annual pageant on Saturday, March 22, 2014 in Bradford, PA. She will discuss living with Transverse Myelitis, and her journey to become Ms. Wheelchair PA; she will also discuss how she plans on using her title to help all residents of PA who are living with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Sarah Triano of San Jose, California to the show. Sarah was appointed in 2013, by California Governor Edmund G. Brown, as the executive officer of the California Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities. Sarah was executive director at the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center since 2009. She will discuss her background and how she plans to use this appointment to help the governor advance the initiative of hiring people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Mark Boxer, executive vice president & Global Chief Information Officer for Cigna. Cigna (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Dr. Boxer will discuss the company's commitment at all levels to hire people with disabilities as part of maintaining a diverse workforce.

Joyce welcomes Maureen Cahill senior vice president of Total Rewards at Highmark Health. A native of Western Springs, Ill., Ms. Cahill comes to Pittsburgh from Chicago, where she served in similar roles with the Career Education Corporation and Hewitt Associates (AON Hewitt) after being director of human resources for the Illinois Child Care Bureau for 11 years. She will discuss Highmark's commitment to hiring people with disabilities as part of their diverse workforce strategy, and her role supporting the Abilities Business Resource Group.

Joyce welcomes Robert B. Noll, PhD from the University of Pittsburgh's Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Related Disabilities (LEND) program. Dr. Noll's research has focused on gaining a better understanding of the impact of medical challenges for children, their parents, and siblings. The fundamental premise for this body of work is to identify specific domains of functional vulnerability so that clinical trials could be initiated with a specific target; and second, to utilize medical trauma/challenges in children as a metaphor to better understand the psychosocial impact of random stressful life events on the functioning of children. Dr. Noll will explain his research in depth.