John Walsh: Dedicated Businessman and Disability Rights Leader

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hey everyone, hi and welcome to the show to everyone in the United States and around the world. Wow, we have such great listeners, you know that? We really do. When I think about that one person in Saudi Arabia, just one, you know, just one can make a difference. So from Australia to China to Saudi Arabia, all 17 different countries with listeners, thank you, thank you, thank you. Know this, one person, one, can make a change in someone's life. So, you're wonderful, you're awesome, spread the news. Same thing with all of you right here in North America. Same exact thing. I've got some listeners in South America, maybe I'll have one country. I have one big listener. Brazil. Hello, Carla in Brazil, a special shout out to you. That is where my friend Richard Roberts is from the State Department, and my new friend Carla, love you, can't wait to meet you. Thank you so much for your support of people with disabilities around the world. Uh, also Gang Young in South Korea, Venyamin in Kazakhstan, Cheryl Harris at the State Department. So many people, so many great people that are really trying to help me have a change in the world for people with disabilities. And that also includes right here in the United States. Wow, I have some great, great listeners. I have some people that follow, follow, follow this show. That when I meet them, they know me by my voice before I say who I am. So I have such wonderful listeners. I appreciate all of you, what you're doing and telling other people about the show. Thank you. Keep on keeping on. Hey, Yoshiko Dart, special shout out to you. You know I'll never forget you, Yoshiko. Yoshiko Dart is the widow of the great Justin Dart Jr. And I told her, it's so upsetting to me when in this country history, history of people with disabilities is not taught. And Justin is a history maker. So I'm doing that so you'll look up Justin Dart Jr. so you'll know more about What is in our civil rights history? And Highmark— wow, Highmark. Highmark is the sponsor of this show, and we have now been on 20 years. This is our 20th anniversary of the show. So with that, I am so excited to bring back a very well-liked guest John Walsh, who is the CEO of Red Summit Global, where we have an incredible listening audience to his show On Demand, and that's why I wanted to have him back. John, welcome to the show.

Thanks, Joyce. Excited to be back. Looking forward to our conversation today.

Well, I love having you for many reasons, many, many, since number one, people love having you on the show. Number two is that two should be one, that you're a friend of mine and on the board of the Bender Leadership Academy. But today it's because here you are, an accomplished businessman, entrepreneur, disability rights leader, venture capitalist. Um, I mean you do so much and why we need more people like you. Did you all hear me explain how successful he is as a businessman with his own Red Summit Global? He is not just disability rights leader, not just someone from a not-for-profit, not that those don't count, but this is a businessman. That's what we need more, need more. John Walsh's, more executives from the business community, and that is why it's so exciting. So John, before we go any further, could you please review your incredible background and include your executive-level positions at different companies where I've, I've known you be at different companies?

Sure, thanks Joyce Bender. I'm essentially a leader of teams and technology, and I've been on boards and an operating executive and a CEO, COO, CTO, CIO, and led people in over 100 countries, couple billion dollars in annual revenue scale, closed over $16 billion in sales with great teams. So really have a lot of business experience. I love business, and in the services industry, business is delivering by people. And so I'm all about people and diversity and, and making sure we have diversity of thought and background and experience in our teams. And I've done that at a variety of companies. I'm currently an operating executive helping Peraton grow its Homeland Security business and just starting up a large program with the Transportation Security Agency. Very excited about that. I've worked with them before and excited to be back helping them. Previous to that, I worked at ASML SRC Federal as the CIO and CTO, helping us restructure that business and the way we went to market. Worked at SAIC as an executive vice president to help them put their offerings in place, help them with an acquisition that we got done while I was there. And then previous to that was at CSRA, which is another government services company, helping them in their Homeland Security business, and then worked at CSC for over almost 18 years, lived overseas for 9 of those years, worked in government and commercial business, and again, in a variety of roles. Great company to work in, along with the others as well. And then in parallel, I started my own advisory company helping small companies in startup phase with just the experience I had to help them grow, help them enter the market, right, etc. So quick, some quick background on me, Joyce Bender.

Yeah, that is a big background, John. I'm saying, wow, wow, well, you have accomplished a lot. And what do you do at Red Summit Global? Is it mainly working as an investor and venture capitalist or working with startups? What do you do?

Yeah, it's primarily working with startups as a board member, a board advisor, helping them typically grow, enter new markets. I'm also an investor now and again. I spend a lot of my time in artificial intelligence and machine learning, cybersecurity, kind of in the healthcare, retail space. And I also, as I've gotten a little older and hopefully a little wiser, I try to spend my time with where technology helps people. So, as you know, Joyce, I'm on the board of the American Association of People with Disabilities, on our company, the Bender Leadership Academy that you and I have worked together, you as running it, of course, but me as an adjacent person helping you with it as a professor now and again, and also just helping now as a board member, help people with disabilities enter the workforce. Great piece of work. I work with the American Red Cross in the National Capital Region. I am on the board of their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program. So, again, looking for how, you know, nonprofits, you know, volunteer workforce, disaster happens, are we able to handle and manage the issues that a diverse, you know, population has to deal with in a time of crisis. To, of course, include people with disabilities, which is unfortunately sometimes forgotten. And I think it's just something that, again, tone at the top, whether you're in a profit company or a nonprofit, it's always important to remember that it is, you know, 25% of the population, and any of us can join at any time. And we just need to make sure we accommodate, you know, not only legally, but, you know, with empathy and with the right approach, just to make sure we're handling and taking care of people's loved ones and, you know, our own members of the community be successful in getting through tough times, whether it's an apartment fire or a hurricane.

Yeah. Well, I am honored to have you on the Advisory Board of Bender Consulting Services with people like Ted Kennedy Jr. and Dorothee Bush and Mick Malek and Maria and so many other people. And as a board member of the Bender Leadership Academy, you add so much knowledge and integrity. But the thing is, you have passion. And you did accomplish a lot from when I first met you many, many, many years ago when you were with CSC, Computer Sciences Corporation, which when I started working with them, it was like a 13, $90 billion company with, I don't know, 90,000 employees, or it was some astronomical number. And then they, you know, became DXC Technology. But while you were there, now thinking how long ago this was, you were able to do so much helping us. And I thought you could talk a little bit about that, like what message did you need to convey to your managers about the reasons to employ people with disabilities? Do you think it's important to start small? Do you think it's important the person you work with— I mean, you know, this is harder than it sounds. So when you worked with me all those years, you were very successful. Could you share with other business leaders that we have contacted for this show, what you would suggest?

That's a great question. And it's something I will say certainly starts with, you know, tone at the top and really helping people understand that there's really an opportunity, especially in the technology world where we have a shortage of talent. Clearly, you see it on the market every day where we're always looking for great people. And, you know, technology is something that can be learned by anyone, really. And there's a lot of, you know, free training as well as just experiential training that people can get to become fluent in technology, along with just formal training, of course. So, you know, at the end of the day, I'm all about finding great athletes.. And athletes come from all walks of life. And one of the things I've always highlighted is since the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is astronomical compared to the rest of the workforce, and it's just an untapped pool of talent that if we take some simple steps to make sure that we understand how to work with people with disabilities. And you've been a wonderful coach and advocate, and with your iDisability product, it helps people understand, you know, how to work with people with disabilities. It's been a real enabler over the— you know, in recent times. It wasn't back in the early 2000s. You know, I think it was 2001 we started working together, so it's been a long time coming. But having that as another tool in the toolbox has certainly been helpful as I've moved around. But I would say that Picking, you know, A, getting the leadership on board with, yes, we're going to do this. B, creating a target number. So pick a number. It doesn't have to be huge. Start small, I think, is good. Learn how to do it right so you make sure that, you know, we don't, you know, make mistakes with a larger talent pool because it sometimes is a learning experience if they don't know how to make sure that the accommodations for a certain disability are handled in the right way and that we give people the appropriate amount of training to get them on board successfully. And create coaches within— inside the company to help them be successful in working with your company. If we're bringing them on board from vendor consulting, having your side also help us be successful. It's a team sport sometimes, and it just depends. You know, as you know, many disabilities are also invisible. And so, you know, just making sure that we are ready and able and agile enough to handle anything that comes up as we onboard people. And it's not— This happens with all people, right? It's just having a little bit of extra focus and having a focused pilot in a particular area where you believe that you can be successful, whether it's you have a, you know, a major shortage of talent, you're just not finding anybody, whether it's an entry-level position where somebody can learn at their pace on how to move up in technology and they don't have the technology background necessarily to start. Finding those little areas as a business owner or a leadership element of a larger company, having the, again, leadership team lined up, a little bit of awareness around the stigmas of disabilities if they haven't seen or experienced it before, knocking those barriers down in the company where needed, getting the right onboarding in place process that accommodates everybody. To be successful, the coaching, the training, the mentoring. And then as you get successes, which you will in 3 to 6 months, start, you know, adding that as part of your agenda and making sure that your workforce is truly diverse, not, you know, race, color, gender, but also making sure that we have, you know, a neurodiverse and a physically diverse team of people that are, able to bring all views of and aspects of the world. As I've said, as you know, right, about 25% of the world has some form of disability, and ignoring that as something that is part of having a diverse workforce is important, and especially in a tough environment, which business is tough, right? And this— we're talking competitive employment here. This is not charity work. It's we want the right people with the right talent who can work our way through tough times. And many people with disabilities do struggle. They've gone through tough struggles to get where they are today, and they bring with that that grit, that resolve, that loyalty that you don't always find elsewhere. So those are the kinds of things I, you know, just in my personal experience, but also from a mechanical perspective to get it up and running. Got to track it. Got to have a target. Got to manage it from the top. Or it will drift and not get done. And that's unfortunate because it's a lost opportunity for the business and the talent we're missing on bringing, bringing onto the team.

Yeah, and so, yeah, because it isn't just hiring people with disabilities, it's, as you're saying, investing in talent. And you mentioned about tone from the top. Tell me what you mean about that.

A tone from the top, meaning we need a diverse workforce to be successful. Part of having a diverse workforce— people, when they think diversity, just in my personal experience, having been even in board-level conversations and executive-level conversations, the disability side of diversity isn't really ever discussed, unfortunately. As it should be because it is a big part of a diverse workforce, is, you know, diverse backgrounds, right, as well as, you know, race, gender, things you can see, right? So I think it's, you know, having that tone at the top. It's part of the agenda. It's something you're looking at. I do see it, you know, time and again with, you know, people who come out of the military who have gotten a disability in their work protecting our country. I have seen programs specifically around that, but that's a, very important but small segment of the disability population. So if that exists, I also hug that and say, well, how do we expand this a little wider to make sure we think through where other sources of talent can be found? Because again, everybody's in the hunt for— you've seen all the news around what happened to just in the United States alone, 4 million people in the workforce just aren't in the workforce anymore. On top of just the war for talent and technology, we need to go everywhere and anywhere to find that talent. And just making sure we have a track that focuses on this because it's, unfortunately, I wish I could say it's just a natural behavior, but in my experience, you really need to put a program specifically around this with targets, you know, in terms of number of people and where you want to put them. And take the time to go through the interview process and the onboarding process to make bringing people on with disabilities, you know, it's broad. There's no focused area in the work I do around I'm looking for a particular type of disability. It's more about how do we accommodate any and all disabilities in the way we bring people on board and even just the way we source talent. As you and I have discussed, Joyce Bender, as things become more automated, You have artificial intelligence and machine learning, you know, sourcing talent and saying these are your best candidates. There's some unintended consequences sometimes that happens in just even the sourcing of your talent where people with disabilities are sometimes unintentionally excluded from being a strong candidate put forward just because of the technologies that's put in place. So it's a complex, you know, thing that just requires a little more focus from the top. So that tone at the top is important. Talking about it in meetings, you know, people listen to what you measure. So you measure it, make sure that you have a goal and you're getting to it. And where you're not getting to the goal, break down those barriers to make sure you're successful. And then celebrating the wins and, you know, talking about it, you know, across the rest of the company if you're in a large company. To expand the interest and the focus. That's kind of the, you know, build it and they will come. Show them how to do it is kind of in my way of doing it inside a large company. And then anywhere I'm on a board or any discussions with other board members of other companies, I always bring this up as a diversity, equity, and inclusion thing. And many times they said, "Great idea. We hadn't even considered that." So, Talking about it on a regular basis at the top makes a difference.

Hey everyone, keep your eyes on John Walsh for next year with some big things that are coming where we are recognizing leaders. So, you know, he went to one of his subcontractors, one of his suppliers, and got them— told them about us and they started hiring 15 people with disabilities. Can you imagine that? So when he says he talks to other people, he talks to other people and he talks to other companies and he makes it happen. And John, I so much appreciate that, what you've done. And when you were— when we were talking about tone from the top, I have to have a shout out to Russ Owen. Because, Owens, because I think you would agree that he stood behind this 100%.

Absolutely. Wonderful man. And yeah, he got me involved in it from the beginning, so I— hats off to him, that getting me, uh, my mind, you know, again, talking to other people, that's what he did. He shared with me what you and he were working on and said, well, I'd love to be involved, and The rest is history, right? So just, just even a short conversation would make a big difference.

I remember when a, um, naysayer— I guess that's what I call this person— wanted— did not want the contract, was giving all these reasons why the contract had to be not on their corporate national vendor contract. And I— it was all silliness what was being said. And Russ called and this person said, yeah, but they don't do this, and if they do this, they have to do that. And his saying was, you're comparing apples to trout. I will never forget that. Apples to trout. That's what I've never heard before. But I want to tell you, Russell, I love you. I will always love you and always remember everything you did to support me, to support everything that we're doing. That does make a difference. Just like with John, when he would go to a company, it makes a difference because all of a sudden everyone knows The person at the top knows. And just that endorsement from the top makes such a difference, even in huge corporations like that. But it's a fact, John, that any company I work with where I have buy-in from the top, oh, it makes the biggest difference. It does, it makes the difference. And I'm sure that when you first told people at all those companies that you served as an executive, I'm sure you saw a difference in them when you said that this was something you believed in.

Absolutely. I think it's, you know, and it's as a business leader, right? I always, you know, besides just the right thing to do to make sure we're inclusive and making sure we're hiring all, getting access to and taking advantage of all the talent wherever it is in the world. At the same time, you know, there is a business value, and I think Accenture, as you know, recently wrote a report on the value created by bringing people on with disabilities into a company in a structured way. And just the— so many metrics that show that from a business perspective, it's a no-brainer. But in a more practical sense, yeah, when you have those conversations with your teams and, you know, you let people know that it's a personal passion you have, and that you'd like them to engage in this as well. And as you know, many times I have you get on a call with us and tell your personal story and all the, you know, stories that you have of, you know, just the difference that, you know, finding the right talent to help a company be successful and the just the loyalty and the great work that the people that you have been bringing to us as a recruiter for us. Over the years has been, you know, par none. I just, you know, as you know, many of these people have moved up inside the companies I've been in to management roles and other more important roles that have been just wonderful to see because it is just, again, about competitive employment, but making sure you're tapping into all the channels you have, especially in a competitive employment environment we're in today. Why wouldn't you take the time to, And it's not a lot of time. It's just take a little bit of time to understand what are the nuances of, you know, making sure you have a program that forces, that drives the behavior in the, all the systems we talk about, the AI machine learning, the HR processes, contracting, like you just talked about. There's many barriers to stop anything that's a new idea or something that's not already part of the institution. You know, company by definition is a bureaucracy. So it does require people like Russ, like you said, to break down those barriers and say, you know, this is apples and trout. This is not what we should be talking about. Let's go get this done and let's find a way. Lots of— it's easy to say no. It's harder to say yes. People hate change. So this is a change for a lot of companies and mindsets for people that just require some Leadership from the top, tone at the top, you know, measure what, you know, people react to what you measure and, you know, make it part of people's objectives to, you know, make sure that we're addressing the workforce in a way we'd like and putting into place all of the mechanics that help anybody be successful in business, but also doesn't unintentionally exclude people with disabilities because they don't, may not have the accommodations they need, or, you know, as you know, most websites are hardly accessible for people with disabilities. So it's a thing that just requires a bit of leadership, measuring, and drive from the top. And that you need to push that down into your team, right? So your leaders that work directly for you need to be talking about it. They need to be talking about the people below them. So it's a thing. It's a discussion point that you're always talking about. How do we find the, you know, this next-generation talent we need to bring into the workforce? And let's not— let's make sure we're making sure we're addressing the entire market, not unintentionally missing out on what's really a great workforce that, you know, many times through things we just talked about struggle to even be considered for an opportunity just because of the tools and the technology and the processes that are in large companies and even small companies. Industries today.

Yeah, well, I, I can't understand when I'm talking to someone and they'll say we can't find the talent we need, and I say, hey, over here, look over here, there's this untapped labor pool. But you know, we gotta just keep on keeping on. And with that, it is time for our on-the-half-hour news break with our anchor Perri Jude Radesik, Advocacy Matters. Hi, Perri, what do you have for us today?

Joyce Bender, this is really critically important for anyone who's ever used or will use Amtrak. Tomorrow, that's Wednesday, August 30th, Amtrak is going to hold a public meeting to solicit feedback on the accessibility of their Overnight long-distance trains. So Amtrak is going to be purchasing new trains. Amtrak wants to modernize its fleet on its long-distance routes. And they're seeking rider experience and feedback on how to make their trains more accessible. I mean, what a welcome thing. So this meeting is only about the accessibility of overnight long-distance trains. Tomorrow's meeting is going to be live-streamed and it's open to the public. The meeting is going to start at 10:00 a.m., go until 2:00 p.m. They're going to provide ASL and CART for the meeting. Now, according to the public notice, Amtrak wants to provide customers with disabilities the best possible onboard experience and wants to prepare new designs for their long-distance trains to enhance accessibility. We know the Americans with Disabilities Act, Joyce, supports the principle of full inclusion and integration, not segregation. If you've ever been on a long-distance train, you know that there are stairs to navigate. It's, it's not very easy. There aren't many rooms to support people with disabilities on those long-distance trains. So that means advocacy matters more than ever tomorrow. I think we all deserve, and the law requires, full access for people with disabilities on trains. It's really important. Advocates have a couple ways to get their information, to get comments to Amtrak. One, you can submit written comments. That's good until September 5th. So written comments, the deadline is September 5th, or you can attend the public meeting virtually tomorrow and provide comments. So that's September 5th for written, tomorrow, August 30th, for in-person virtual comments. If you want a link to all of this information and the Amtrak feedback session, registration, go to disabilityrightsPA.org right now. That's disabilityrightsPA.org for links to all of this information and to register for the public meeting.

Oh yes, that's very important, very important to do that. And I always say this: don't complain, take action. Perry, once again, Give us the website.

That's disabilityrightspa.org.

And then go to Advocacy Matters. That way, if there's anything you need that you don't understand, go there and read it. And share this show with other people and tell them to go to Advocacy Matters if you don't get to share the show. Hey, Perry, thank you so much. Great information. Look forward to talking to you next week.

Sounds good. Take care.

Bye-bye. So many things happening, John. So many things happening. And, you know, I just am so thankful for people like Perry fighting the fight and people like you fighting the fight for us in employment. And I wanted, I wanted to ask you a question, and that is, remember you were talking about all these people that aren't working and, you know, all this lost talent and companies trying to find people. In the midst of all of that, people hear this company's laying off people, this company, you know, I'm sure you very well know what I'm talking about with the tech companies like Google and others and banks and other institutions. This year, many are going through layoffs and cutbacks while at the same time, you know, there's this shortage of talent. Why do you think that is, John?

Yeah, I think there's— I could talk about this all day because I think about it a lot. But I think in short, it's a combination of several things. One is there is, you know, of course, the economy is a bit unknown at the moment. So, you know, people are worried as business leaders around what's going to happen around the corner. And we're kind of in uncharted territory. If you just look at the massive changes in interest rates and things going around the world with, you know, countries overseas that are threatening Western civilizations here and there, and a few other things going on. So there's that backdrop, of course, that worries any business person. So that's why I think, you know, you do see some conservativeness in terms of hiring and cutting costs where they need to. So there's that. And then secondly, There is a change that's happening, as you see, and, you know, you probably, if you haven't heard of ChatGPT, it's a great example of technology that, you know, I wouldn't just, between us, it's a great technology, and this technology is, you know, in several areas already, and companies like Microsoft and Google and Amazon and others are using this technology today. Even when you go shopping on Amazon and or you're looking at Netflix and you're getting a suggested movie you hadn't thought about because what you watched before. Artificial intelligence is already in our lives today, but I will say it's just the tip of the iceberg. So if I was to give advice to anybody who's, you know, either intentionally or unintentionally having to change jobs, think about, you know, if you haven't thought about working in technology, There's many free courses. There's lots of training out there. It's a big area of growth. And in your career lifetime, however long that is, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity— those three areas would be areas I would consider getting some continuing education in to be not only in perhaps working in that area, but knowing how that affects your job, whatever that job is. Because artificial intelligence, it's just like people worried about the automobile taking over horses and buggies, and the buggy whip people were upset, and all the things you would imagine, and how there's going to be reduction in work. Which, you know, is— yes, there will be a change in the way work's done, but there'll be new jobs that are created. And just like when automobiles came into existence, Actually, employment, jobs, you know, the job opportunities increased, number of jobs available increased because of that whole new technology. Similarly, artificial intelligence will create those new opportunities as well as just the work in protecting the information we all have on our phones, on our computers, everywhere out there. And, you know, it was like any technology, there will be good uses and bad uses. But understanding the technology at a minimum and how that will impact your work, because at some point you will have a digital employee helping you work and do your work at some level, if not already. And you may not see it or know it, but it's happening already in the workforce and more overtly when you see things like ChatGPT out there where you can ask it to give you, I want to go to Greece, give me, you know, an itinerary of a vacation plan. Spits something out for you almost immediately. So there's, you know, very interesting work there, I would say. So if you are in an inflection point in your career, please consider taking the time to learn this space. And if you are struggling in your particular area to find new work, know that, you know, the workforce and the work that is done by the workforce, by humans, will change over the next 10, 15 years, pretty significantly. So think about, you know, the value you can add as a person versus a machine. And I will say that work is always more interesting and rewarding, I would say, than perhaps the mechanical things that a computer can do. Because at the end of the day, humans will always be able to do things that a computer will be able to do for quite some time. I won't say forever, but certainly, you know, in my lifetime and beyond, It will take quite a bit of time until you, you know, end up in the Terminator movie or something better than that in the future. So just saying, you know, yes, it's a challenge to find talent out there, but they're out there. And even just different ways of engaging talent, I would say, you know, having a work-from-home policy that is always good and obviously creates opportunity with mobility issues in the disability community as well. Also having a flexible workforce or a fractional workforce. Sometimes you don't need 100% of people's time. So all these different ways of thinking about the way work's done. I think COVID is, you know, obviously was a traumatic event for everybody on Earth, but also forced us to rethink the way work's done and also has, you know, created the, I would say, a spike in, technology that enables people to work remotely. And so think about that from an employer perspective. How do you engage a workforce that may not have been able to tap into before because you thought they needed to be sitting in right next to you in an office in Arkansas, whereas really they could be doing their job from anywhere on earth? And similarly, as an employee, think about where the work is shifting from an automation perspective, from an artificial intelligence perspective, where the threats like cybersecurity create job opportunities. So I would just, you know, advise anybody to think about that because especially in the technology world, I didn't start out in technology. I was in a— I got 2 degrees in electrical engineering, you know, but, you know, as I was working for the government and I saw computers being on desks and people using large computers to solve big problems, I pivoted my career into technology. That ability still exists today. It requires a little bit of sweat equity on your part to get the— and a lot of that training out there is free, but also spend a little money in your future. But companies will also be willing to take the time to bring the right athletes on board and give you the training you need to work with technology. So just say on both sides of it, I think there's a gap and a misunderstanding that, you know, some companies and some people are struggling with, but I think that gap will close here over time as people figure it out, but it is something I'd advise both companies and employees to think about.

Yeah, that's great advice. That is. And it's very sad, John, that some companies right here in Pittsburgh, you know, there's some that are wonderful and they just say, hey, can you come back 3 days a week, but if it's an issue, let us know. But there are companies that are saying, no, we want you back, period. And so I don't know what that does for people that took the job and live, you know, out of town for where this company is. But I want to say that, you know, we got a little further here, people with disabilities, with that ability to work from home. But if you made it for those years, why are you— you know, old habits die hard. And I had people even say to me, older people, I know what it was like before, and you've got to see people to make sure they're doing their job. Well, I don't agree with that, and I hope people keep that door open because, hear me now, If you don't, you'll lose employees to someone that does. That is a fact because that new lifestyle, working from home, ended problems of spending money on daycare, gas, parking tickets. But most importantly, you're there at home. You're in your home. You know, you don't have to spend all these money on clothes and lunches out and getting home late at night. So, um, I just hope companies remain flexible about that. As I said, it certainly is a wonderful thing for people with disabilities. But with that, hey, it's time for our What's Going On at Bender, uh, which, you know, every radio show. We have the news in the world and in the United States as it impacts people with disabilities. And then we have the news of what's going on right here at Bender. So Gerald, are you with us?

I am. Hi Joyce, how are you?

I'm pretty good, Gerald. How about you?

I'm doing wonderful. And hi John, thank you for everything that you're doing for us and for people with disabilities out there. Absolutely.

Happy to be part of everything that's going on. It's been a joy and working with you and others at Bender, so thanks so much for your partnership.

Absolutely. Well, I wanted to today, Joyce, remind everybody of a great initiative that you brought forth this year here at Bender, and that's the Bender Cuello Consortium, which I know John is really familiar with, where you're challenging companies to hire 10 people with disabilities from Bender.

That's it, just 10.

A lot of companies have thousands and tens of thousands of employees and just need to commit to bringing 10 people with disabilities into their organization. I know this initiative has been really, really helpful at fostering relationships and getting new companies to, you know, really put their— put a stake in the ground and move forward with partnering with us and bringing people with disabilities into their organization, and it's going to be a powerful group of leaders that come together really trying to push this envelope and work together with you, Joyce Bender, to bring disability hiring forward and finally make progress on the promise that the ADA gave our community that has really not been fulfilled with the vast unemployment that exists for people with disabilities. So we're making some great progress with great leaders like John pushing this and people like Jeff Ramella at ApplyLogic. Hi, Jeff, if you're listening to the show. Thank you for all you're doing. But we've got some great companies standing by us and looking for more businesses to connect with us, continue this Cuello— Bender Cuello Consortium to hire Just 10, just 10 people with disabilities, that's all, from Bender in IT and defense contracting, in the procurement space or the engineering space or wherever your company has its roles. We can find the talent to fill those opportunities and bring you great talent with disabilities. So that's what I wanted to talk about today because there's still a lot of companies out there, and I know you could talk a little bit about this, Joyce, that need to sign on to this.

Yeah, right. The ADA, here we are 33 years later, and that needle has still not moved. 70% of people with disabilities Not counted in the workforce is shameful. So take a stand, make a difference, be that company, be that company. If you have 100,000 employees or 20,000, 10 hires, that's all, 10 hires by the end of the year. And we are involving the news media in recognizing the company. So Gerald, thank you so much for reminding everyone.

Thank you, Joyce, and thank you again, John, for everything. And have a wonderful day, everyone.

Thanks. So, you know, John, isn't it amazing that we're so far past the ADA signing and still have this high unemployment?

It's shocking every time I think about it. And Sad, but, you know, I think every voice, every action you take every day to try to change that. I think it's unfortunately just a combination of, you know, I'll call it, you know, tone at the top, right? Having a program to do something about it, making it part of people's objectives. And even just, you know, once you bring people on board with disabilities, Doing some reverse mentoring, you know, something I've done in previous companies is, you know, what, you know, as a leader of people, you know, I would, and not having a disability myself, I really, it's kind of the fear of unknown, right? And is there a safe way to, you know, understand more about, well, what is it like with your disability to come to work? And how can I understand, you know, put myself in your shoes and understand just the challenges that, you know, I take for granted that, you know, are a challenge for somebody who's working for me are all important whether you have a disability or not, right? People have, you know, parents they're taking care of, sick, you know, family members. You know, these things happen all the time, but, you know, depending on the disability, sometimes people have— this is a lifelong journey they've been on, and Being able to understand and appreciate that and having somebody with a disability help somebody understand that in more real terms is, I found, also helpful because, as you would imagine, that turns that person into a champion of that person, but also just understanding and empathizing and taking away the stigma, but also the fear of unknown, right? If you don't have a disability, you don't really understand it, and you're really kind of afraid to ask about it or even, you know, will I screw it up? What problems does that cause for me, whether it's legally or reputationally? So I think breaking down those barriers through just constant communication channels is super important. And that's just part of any healthy people management system in a company. And I'm just highlighting that just don't forget to include the disability community in that conversation because there's, as you know, Joyce Bender, there's, you know, ERG, ESG groups and companies that are dealing with race issues and gender equality and all the other things. This is unfortunately still not spoken enough about. So creating that, you know, I think will increase awareness and hopefully continue to help us close the gap that, you know, the intent of the ADA, you know, created for people with disabilities and making sure that As I know you and I have been more involved in making sure that companies are— and boards and investors, right? I think this is where business people become impacted is investors want to know what you're doing to address the ADA and making sure that you have a fair and open workforce that accommodates people with disabilities. And if you don't have that, maybe I'm not investing in you. That's one of many levers I think we have to influence change. And this is change. It's a change in stigma. It's a change in eliminating that fear of the unknown where people just don't know how to engage. And education. And I think, again, brought it up earlier, the iDisability product that you have developed and co-founded is a great tool in the many tools, just besides talking to people. Hey, I can go on at home, log in, and learn about how, you know, what are the things I need to think about when I'm working with somebody who's in a wheelchair or who has hearing impaired. So those are other ways to help broaden an understanding that I think is some of the resistance that is out there. Because if you just look at it from a business perspective, and as a business owner and a business leader, that's what I look at, it's a no-brainer. So why isn't it closed? I find it amazing and shocking and disappointing, but I think it's, you know, when people are involved in anything, it requires some teaching, coaching, tools to help them work through whatever their issues are or whatever the challenges are, whatever the barriers, typically unintentional, there are to giving people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in the workforce as equals.

Yes, well, great words, John, and I hope everyone is listening. And listen, if you're listening to the show right now and you're saying, wow, I wish someone else I know had heard this— oh, they can go to Spotify, Apple, benderconsult.com, voiceamerica.com. You can hear the show on demand. And please Tell everyone about it. John, before we end the show today, I wanted to ask you, and you've done so much in your life, present or in history, who has been your role model?

I have a few role models, Joyce, and in tech it would be Steve Jobs for just everything he's done to try to transform technology. I also like Elon Musk in that he does so many different things to change the world. From leadership, Colin Powell, just a great leader. I worked in the government when he was in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Just so many great words of wisdom on leadership. And then something I've really hugged in my later years here is Clara Barton, you know, who is the founder of the Red Cross. She founded it at age 59. Yeah, I know, 23 years after that, that tells you something about it's never too late to make a difference.

Never too late.

Right.

So, well, you are that person, John. You are a role model to many of us. Uh, but right now, hey, it's time. We've got to end the show. And, uh, I want to thank you again, everyone that has been following the show. It means so much to me. In the— in what John was just talking about, here's our quote: "There is no limit to what we can accomplish. There is no limit," said Michelle Obama. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, Where Disability Matters, at Voice America. Joy.com. In the words of Mary Brooker, when you go out today, remember, choose joy.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific time and 2 PM Eastern time for another installment of Disability Matters right here on the Voice America Variety Channel. We are the leader in Live Internet Talk Radio.

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