Disability Matters

Joe Valenzano, president and CEO of Exceptional Parent Global Communications (EPGC), Inc., discusses his advocacy work through the magazine to help parents of children with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Lou Orslene, Co-Director of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and Anne Hirsh, Co-Director of JAN. They will be discuss the purpose of this organization, which is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).

Darius Weems and Producer/Director, Logan Smalley, discuss the documentary Darius Goes West. The documentary revolves around Darius, a teenager with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, who, because of his disease, had never left his hometown of Athens, Georgia. Therefore, in the summer of 2005, with the help of eleven young friends, Darius sets off on a road trip across the United States, testing wheelchair accessibility, with the ultimate goal of reaching Los Angeles in the hopes of funding Darius' wheelchair customizations from an appearance on MTV.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Ann Kulze, nationally recognized expert and motivational speaker in the areas of nutrition, healthy lifestyles and disease prevention and Suzanne W. "Suzy" Broadhurst, active Western Pennsylvania public service volunteer to the show. They will be discussing women's heart health and the Go Red for Women Conference.

Joyce welcomes Jonathan Young, Senior Counsel for FoxKiser and advocate for people with disabilities to the show. He will discuss a number of topics including his past work in the executive office of the President as the associate director, office of public liaison, during the Clinton Administration; his influence over the creation of National Disability Mentoring Day each October; and his impressions on the impact the Obama Administration will have on the employment of people with disabilities in the federal government and the private sector.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Ann Kulze, nationally recognized expert and motivational speaker in the areas of nutrition, healthy lifestyles and disease prevention and Suzanne W. "Suzy" Broadhurst, active Western Pennsylvania public service volunteer to the show. They will be discussing women's heart health and the Go Red for Women Conference.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Richard Horne who currently serves as the Director for the Division of Policy Planning and Research at the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). Among the topics discussed on the show, will be how he became involved in the disability area; the mission of ODEP; and the most recent unemployment numbers for people with disabilities released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Joyce welcomes Denise Pease, a member of the Executive Board of the National Epilepsy Foundation. Discussed on the show will be living with Epilepsy and the foundation's role in helping African Americans with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Jonathan Young, Senior Counsel for FoxKiser and advocate for people with disabilities to the show. He will discuss a number of topics including his past work in the executive office of the President as the associate director, office of public liaison, during the Clinton Administration; his influence over the creation of National Disability Mentoring Day each October; and his impressions on the impact the Obama Administration will have on the employment of people with disabilities in the federal government and the private sector.

Joyce welcomes Gregory G. Dell'Omo, Ph.D., President of Robert Morris University, to the show. President Dell'Omo will talk about his vision for the university and his commitment to diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities.