Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes to the show, David Morrissey, executive director of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), Tony Coelho, former congressman and author of the ADA, Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor, Jill Houghton, executive director of the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and Dick Thornburgh, former PA Governor and former U.S. Attorney General. Each guest will talk about the recent efforts to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty (CRPD). The CRPD seeks to hold other countries accountable to the same standards of accessibility set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act when it was passed on July 26, 1990.

Greg Smith, host and founder of the nationally syndicated On A Roll talk radio, is one of the most dynamic voices in the disability movement today. Born in Bay Springs, Mississippi in 1964, Smith was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Smith started On A Roll as a local AM radio program in Phoenix in 1992, expanding it to include more than 70 national stations in the next 11 years. During the show, he will talk about his extensive career in the disability rights movement.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Suzanne Mellon, President of Carlow University since July 2013 to the show. Dr. Mellon comes to Carlow University from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, where she had served as Executive Vice President and Professor since 2009. She will discuss her mission and goals for Carlow University during her tenure. In particular, she will discuss her continued commitment to students with disabilities.

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 to the show, David Morrissey, executive director of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), Tony Coelho, former congressman and author of the ADA, Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor, Jill Houghton, executive director of the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and Dick Thornburgh, former PA Governor and former U.S. Attorney General. Each guest will talk about the recent efforts to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Treaty (CRPD). The CRPD seeks to hold other countries accountable to the same standards of accessibility set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act when it was passed on July 26, 1990.

Joyce welcomes 13-year-old Autumn Bishard to the show. Autumn, who lives with cerebral palsy, was named National American Miss Pennsylvania Junior Teen for 2013, while also winning the spirit award and being named the fourth runner-up for the spokes model competition. She will discuss her recent title, and how she plans to use the platform to empower all girls to be the best they can be no matter what struggles or obstacles get in their way.

Joyce's special guest this week is Santa Claus, whom Joyce will be interviewing about his preparations for this special holiday. During the hour, Joyce will share Santa's perspective on the importance for all of us to share our time and resources with everyone in need, not only during the holidays, but year-round, and discuss how important it is for us to love one other and work together for the common good.

Joyce welcomes Bonnie Rubin, executive director of the Project for Freedom, and Pat Serey, Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania's chief development and marketing officer and vice president of its southwestern region to the program. They will discuss the 2013 merger between these two groups. Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania is a faith-based human service nonprofit organization. The organization has a wide-range of programs and services that help seniors, adults, youth and children reach for their full potential. The Project for Freedom's mission is to provide business-directed training resulting in competitive employment of people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Eric Walrabenstein, an author, speaker, founder of Operation Bootstrap and nationally-recognized expert in the fields of yoga and mind/body health. Eric's Operation Bootstrap Program is designed to help returning veterans and their families cope with the effects of post traumatic stress disorder and other psychological effects of war. This first-of-its-kind program combines modern scientific stress-management principles with the ancient mind/body wisdom of yoga to return both body and mind to their naturally relaxed state of balance. Eric will discuss this program in depth and explain how it is saving lives.

Joyce welcomes back 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 organization's "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.