Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is the nation's premier civil and human rights coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Mr. Henderson will discuss how the Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society. He will also discuss how The Education Fund builds public will for civil and human rights through campaigns that empower and mobilize civil and human rights advocates around the country to push for progressive change. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Mr. Henderson will reflect on the importance of that event to our history and how it still affects us today.

Joyce welcomes William Kiernan, appointed the dean and research professor at the School of Global Inclusion and Social Development at UMASS Boston. He is also the director of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCED). He will discuss his expertise with transition, employment and public policy development, workforce development and systematic change.

Joyce welcomes Doris Carson Williams, president and CEO of The African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) to the show. The mission of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania is to continuously improve business and professional opportunities for African American business owners and professionals. Guided by the core values of equity in opportunity, economic advancement, self-sufficiency and entrepreneurial excellence, the organization seeks to advance economic parity for the African American business community by ensuring full participation in the public and private sectors throughout the region. Ms. Carson Williams will discuss the AACC's commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities as part of that mission.

Joyce welcomes comic book writer, John McLaren and creator of the comic book superhero "Toteman". The production team of "Toteman", created a comic book designed to enlighten the public about epilepsy awareness, including the dangers, the symptoms, the myths and the first aid response. Mr. McLaren will discuss what led to the creation of this comic book and why it is important to him.

Joyce welcomes Amy Lott, nurse, musician, and person living with epilepsy. Amy will discuss her life with epilepsy, and how that led her to meet the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Tony Coelho. Through her personal story, she hopes to inspire other young people living with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Katherine Archuleta, director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), with the federal government. On May 23, 2013, President Obama appointed director Archuleta to lead the agency responsible for attracting and retaining an innovative, diverse and talented workforce to make the federal government a model employer for the 21st century. Ms. Archuleta will discuss the hiring successes associated with President Obama's Executive Order to increase employment of Americans with disabilities in federal service.

Joyce welcomes Robert DeLucia, owner of Veterans' Taxi Service to the show. Mr. DeLucia discusses this relatively new company to the Pittsburgh, PA market which offers a choice to patrons who have only had one cab company, Yellow Cab, for years. Veterans' Taxi offers the public an affordable service that is on par with Yellow Cab. That means its drivers — military veterans — are independent contractors who lease the vehicles and charge the same rate as the Yellow Cab taxi service. Several of the Veterans' Taxi fleet have wheelchair ramps for patrons with disabilities. Mr. Delucia's business plan stresses Veterans' is an all-American kind of company: American cars, American veterans, American fuel.

Joyce welcomes Edwin Black, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling international investigative author of 120 award-winning books in 14 languages in 65 countries. He has also written scores of newspaper and magazine articles in leading publications of the United States, Europe and Israel. With more than a million books in print, his work focuses on genocide and hate, corporate criminality and corruption, governmental misconduct, academic fraud, philanthropic abuse, oil addiction, alternative energy and historical investigation. He will discuss his 2014 speaking tour and latest project.

Joyce welcomes retiring executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Western and Central Pennsylvania (EFWCP), Judy Painter to the show. Ms. Painter will discuss the plans for this year's Mardi Gras fundraiser to benefit the EFWCP, on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at Pittsburgh's Westin Convention Center Hotel. She will also discuss the work of the non-profit organization under her direction as executive director during her tenure.

Joyce welcomes Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president and CEO of RespectAbility, USA to the show. Jennifer will discuss the mission of this non-profit organization and its on-going efforts. RespectAbility, USA is helping the 57 million Americans with disabilities achieve the American dream. In RespectAbility's version of that dream, Americans with disabilities are respected members of the workforce and wield significant political power.