Sensory -Friendly Pittsburgh Symphony Concert/Epilepsy Film Project to Raise Awareness and Funds
May 19, 2015
Hosted by Joyce Bender
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Episode Description
Joyce welcomes Jessi Ryan, manager of education and community programs for the Pittsburgh Symphony. For the first 5 minutes of the show, Ms. Ryan will be promoting a symphony concert, Saturday, June 27, 2015. Led by resident conductor, Lawrence Loh, “Celebrate Pittsburgh” is designed for patrons of all ages with autism spectrum disorders, sensory sensitivities and other disabilities to enjoy an orchestra performance in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Monitors will provide open captioning throughout the concert, and quiet rooms, headphones and fidgets will be available so audience members can address their sensory stimulation. The show will next feature Steve Schatcher and his son, David. Both will discuss their film project, “The Last Pyramid”, which was produced to bring awareness to the issues surrounding epilepsy and will raise funds for the Epilepsy Foundation.
Disability Matters
Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
Competitive employment and empowerment for people with disabilities is the emphasis of this show. Broadcast live and captioned in real-time for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, we discuss how people with disabilities can secure career opportunities, and how employers, organizations and individuals can support employment and empowerment of people with disabilities.
Joyce Bender
Joyce A. Bender is the CEO and president of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. Bender Consulting recruits and hires individuals with disabilities, across the United States and Canada for competitive career opportunities in the public and private sectors. In 1985, Joyce survived a life-threatening accident caused by a misdiagnosis of epilepsy. Due to her personal experience living with both epilepsy and a hearing disability, she founded Bender Consulting Services, Inc. in 1995.
Joyce is the past-chair of both the board of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the national Epilepsy Foundation. She has received awards from both the Bush and Clinton administrations.
Joyce speaks across the United States and internationally representing the State Department on informational exchanges related to disability employment best practices. She has represented the State Department in programming with Panama, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Libya, and Tunisia.