Kathryn Zox: Podcast Committed to Helping Those with Disabilities

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, welcome to the show today, and to all of my friends in America, thank you for being such great listeners. And to all of you around the world, wow, we have such a great listening audience from China to Belgium to Singapore to New Zealand, like 17 different countries with listeners and growing. It changes every week. And I am so appreciative. I have a special shout out to Brazil, my good friend Richard Roberts from the U.S. State Department, who I love so much and look forward to seeing in the spring. I've been with him to Japan and South Korea. And speaking of South Korea, hey, a special shout out to my good friend Gangyong Cho. How are you, Gangyong? I miss you so much. These are people with the State Department who around the world have helped get me to different locations to talk about disability and quality of life. And hey, a special shout out to Yoshiko Dart. Yoshiko, a great leader around the world for the disability community and the wife of the great late Justin Dart. Yoshiko, lead on, Yoshiko. I know you're shouting it right back after you hear me saying it. You know how much I love you. And thank you to Highmark for being the lead sponsor of this show for over, yes, 21 years right now and going. Thank you, Highmark. David Holmberg, CEO, all of you, Karen Hanlon, such a great company that you are. Well, I must tell you how much excited I am today having the host of another show on Voice America. How awesome is that? And today we're having Catherine Zogg from the Catherine Zogg Show, who is also, as I said, on Voice America. And by the time you're done with this show, you're going to say, oh my goodness, I have to subscribe to that podcast and hear that show. So Catherine, welcome to Disability Matters.

Thanks so much, Joyce, for being on the show, and thanks for the great intro. And, uh, I'm excited, looking forward to our conversations.

Wow, you have such a great radio voice.

Thank you.

You should be on the radio.

I should be. I am. I've been on the radio.

Well, Katherine, for our listeners, I'll tell you what happens to me. I have guests on And then people in other countries, "Oh, wow, that's so great. Tell us about that person." So what I started doing is having every host tell their story. So I'm gonna have you tell your story, like where you grew up, went to school, a little bit about your family, and whatever else you wanna share. So I'll turn it over to you.

I'm ready to share my story. I do have to say, I mean, Joyce, this is really difficult being on the other end of the microphone. You're asking the questions. I'm on the spot. Yeah, this is, this is not so easy. But anyway, I can talk about, I can talk about myself, not a problem, right? So, um, yeah, I, Katherine Zox, The Katherine Zox Show, that's my show. It took a long time getting there. I didn't start doing radio until my 50s. I'm not going to tell you exactly how old I am now, but I grew up in Maine, uh, in a town called Auburn, Maine. Actually Auburn and Lewiston, twin cities. During the '50s, I was— when I was in high school, actually, I had 3— I had 2 brothers, a father who's a lawyer, a mother who is a social worker, although she didn't quite finish getting her MSW. She had 3 semesters, and the last semester she got married instead, which they did in those days. I don't think anybody would do that now, but she did. Anyway, but so she's a social worker. So I grew up, went to elementary school, went to— started out in high school, but then in high school, I was on the debating team. So I began, you know, getting involved in talking, debating, loved doing that. Then I went to boarding school for the last 2 years of high school. And I was also the captain of the debating— on the debating club in high school. And so I was always talking, always engaging people, but then, and also got interested in drama. I've always been, I think I did my first show as a Brownie at the Congregationalist Church in Auburn, Maine. That was my first acting show. I went to Boston University, got a BA in psychology. Loved, I loved BU, liked being in the city. You know, I had a great professor for psychology. He's the one sort of who introduced me to the field, which is obviously very closely related to social work. Um, got my degree and then got married. I'm trying to give you a synopsis here. Went in the Peace Corps with my ex-husband and lived in Colombia, South America for 6 months. And, uh, that was kind of a defining moment, uh, and I think it was a defining moment in terms of my, my interest in people and people with disabilities, people who were struggling living in a developing country. And I began to really take an interest in that and came back to the United States and got a degree in counseling psych, actually in rehab. That's where my— that was a degree in counseling psych and rehabilitation. And I worked in the field for about 10 years and worked at a state mental hospital, had a lot of experience, hands-on experience. And then later on was— I also got a degree in social work. So I've had a lot of experience in the field, hands-on, but then at age 50 decided I wanted to combine my acting skills and my social work and get out there. And I got interested in radio. You can ask me how I got interested in the radio. That was kind of a freak thing. But, um, I was doing an— I was doing community theater, and one of the guys who I worked with in community theater said to me, you know, Katherine, you've got a great voice. How would you like to I do this volunteer RISE program in— this is in Albany, New York, right? And he said, what we do is we read to people who are print disabled. We read the newspaper. It's a 2-hour program. And we take turns reading articles. And I started doing that. That was for the local NPR station. And that was the beginning for me. I said, I love this. This combines my acting skills my, I guess, my interest in being able to help people and, and, and be able to do that using the, the platform of radio.

Wow, though, what a story! Yeah, I mean, all for the— all those of you with disabilities listening, isn't that amazing how Katherine got started by giving? And it just happened to be to the disability community. Not to mention, I heard you say you worked at an institution, and I'm thinking those were in the days that it's a lot different than today.

Absolutely, it was in the days when they had those huge— I don't want to call them mansions, but they were actually, they were huge facilities, and they were up on a hill. This was in Taunton, Taunton State I think they called it Taunton State Mental Hospital, and they were very separated from the community. They were very— I mean, they were beautiful surroundings, but the people themselves have very little connection to the community, so they were isolated. And, you know, that's all— that was something that they got— that those kinds of institutions they got rid of in the late '70s, I think, middle '70s.

And isn't it, isn't it unbelievable that they were often, just as you said, up on a hill? Yeah, they look beautiful on the outside, but it wasn't always like that on the inside. Exactly. Yeah. So Catherine, that's how you got started. Then what happened with radio?

I mean, with radio— well, okay, yes, let's get, we'll get back to radio. So I did the RISE program for many years, and I decided, you know what, I'm going to go back to radio school. And there was a radio school here in Albany, and I applied. I mean, there were only like 5 or 6 of us in the class, and it was kind of a motley crew. There were, you know, from— I can't describe everybody in the class, but we all got together. It was really— and it was a certificate program. Graduated from the certificate program. And then in the basement of my house, I had one of those, uh, computers, you know, they were different colors, Apple computers, the first ones that came out. And yeah, and I put together a tape, uh, a CD, sent it to the local radio station. And the local radio station, there are several around the Albany area, but the very smallest one, which is still considered Albany— it's really not in Albany, it's in Duanesburg, which is another very small town outside of Albany— said, uh, listen to my tape and said, come on out, uh, I can— you can do a show, you know, 3 or 4 times a week if you want to. And that was the beginning. And I used to— and I think you and I had talked about this a little bit, um, before, but I had— was actually driving my client— my clients— I was driving my guests to the radio station. I was afraid they wouldn't call in, so I would take them from Albany and drive them to the station and do my show. Um, and, and that's where it all began. And then it's just snowballed after this because I've been doing this now 25 years. Yeah.

Wow, that is a way of definitely making sure that your guests show up. Exactly. That is a novel and innovative way, but it— I'm sure that it worked. Because you were able to get them there. And who knows, maybe that also was exciting for them because they were going to the studio that you were, you know, having the show from. So I'm sure that was exciting for them also. So as you said, you took your background in drama and then you got on radio and that just put everything together for you.

Yeah.

No, wait, not to mention getting to help people. Everything you were doing all rolled up together.

Exactly. And my shows, and I have a myriad of people on my shows, like most people. I mean, there are millions of podcasts now. And so I will interview New York Times bestselling authors, celebrities, local talent, local people, national people. The whole— but I'm always interviewing them from the social work perspective. So if I'm talking to them on the radio, I have to have a— if you want to— if one wants to stand out like you do on your show, you have to have a special focus. And I think mine is I try to kind of peel the layers away and talk to people and kind of get to their psyche, uh, no matter what they do, and using my skills as a social worker. So that's kind of sort of my little edge to it, I guess you may call it.

I think that is awesome. And if you just joined us, we are talking to Katherine Zox, the host of The Katherine Zox Show, and may I say, a really great person who quickly not only wanted to be on but embraces everything I do everything about people with disabilities. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, at Disability Matters at voiceamerica.com. We'll be right back with Katherine. Don't go away.

Streaming live, the leader in internet talk radio, VoiceAmerica.com. Everyone has unique abilities, and with ABLE NOW, individuals with disabilities are able to save money while maintaining certain benefits such as Medicaid. ABLE NOW is a tax-advantaged savings program specifically designed for people with disabilities. Open an account online today and start saving for the things that are important to you. To learn if you or someone you know is eligible, visit ablenow.com. ABLE NOW is administered by Virginia529.

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You're listening to Disability Matters. If you have a question or comment, call in toll-free at 1-866-472-5788. That's 1-866-472-5788. 888-825-5788. Now please welcome back the host of Disability Matters. Here's Joyce Bender.

Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. We are talking to Katherine Zox from the Katherine Zox Show on Voice America. And isn't that awesome that I can have a fellow radio show host on my show? So great. Thank you so much, Katherine, for joining us. Um, I was going to ask you— well, I will ask you this question, but But now that you told me your story, I think I know the answer. And that was, I was going to ask you, what caused you to choose a career in social work, since really that is the key to all, to your radio show?

Yeah, I mean, that is an interesting question, Joyce, because initially I wasn't going to do that. What I, I actually applied to law school, and law school and social work can be very much allied. Some people have degrees in both, right, depending on what part of the law you study and practice. So I had applied before I went into the Peace Corps with my ex-husband. I had applied to law school, got in, and I was in law school for about 3 weeks and then just, uh, said I might— he proposed to me and I got married. But, uh, I was able to, if I came back within 18 months, I could go get back into classes and get back into school. But when I came back from the Peace I decided, no, I don't wanna continue in law school. I wanna get a degree in counseling. So that's what I did. And yeah, so I wasn't initially, I mean, maybe as I said before, before the break, maybe when I got in, when I was in Columbia, that sort of, I think, affected me so much that it pushed me in the direction of, Yeah, I want to do social work. I want to do counseling.

Well, tell us about that social workers talk show. What was that?

I got my MSW at the University of Albany, and I became very connected to the university. I do a lot— did a lot of volunteer work with them, even when I had some part-time jobs here in Albany. So I am very connected to the university. And I, at the time, which was about 13 years ago, and I was very connected to students. And I thought, you know, social workers, they never get the word out. They don't, you don't hear about social workers, at least 13 years ago, let's say having a podcast or being on a radio show. Psychologists, yes. Psychiatrists, yes. But, you know, try and name some social workers that you know, who had radio shows. Very true. Yeah, right, very few. So I wanted to— I thought, well, this is an opportunity to have a radio station because the college has a radio station, and let's put a show on and call it the Social Workers Radio Talk Show. One of my students, uh, fantastic, she's actually now co-host the show with one of the professors, and we started the show, and it was Fantastic. We would— I took the people that I had from my radio show that I did, my own radio show, and I would— some of those people would be on the show, some local people, local people, head of agencies, uh, head of the, you know, executive directors of the agencies here in town, social work agencies. And, um, so it was using the medium of radio, uh, to inspire and educate and promote individual and social change, again, through the medium of radio. That was the mission. That is still the mission.

Wow. Well, I was very impressed that when you said you do work with the University of Albany, and by the way, now, Katherine, you have to spread the news to students with disabilities that we're always looking to find employment for someone. And where we're different, we are not like an employment agency. The companies come to us, and then we go find the people. And of course, living with epilepsy is what started all this. Next year is actually the 30th anniversary of Bender Consulting Services. But we're always looking for good people. So make sure you spread that news, Katherine. What really impressed me, Katherine, was that there's a Katherine Zalk Scholarship. At the University of Alabama School of Social Welfare. Do you want to tell our listeners about that? Because I was so impressed with that.

Yes, I will tell you all about that. It's called the Catherine Zock Scholarship, and I had— actually, it was my mother and I who started that scholarship. I told you she was almost got her MSW, uh, but the Catherine Zock Scholarship, I established that with my mother, and it is to provide scholarship support. And I'm actually kind of reading this because for a student who's enrolled in a master's program in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany and who demonstrates financial need. And first preference for this scholarship is given to a female student who is a United States citizen. And that we started— yeah, we started that, what, 15 years ago, I think. And Actually, I'm giving a lecture tonight at the University at Albany about scholarships and about donating to scholarships and how important that is, because this is a dinner meeting for kids who have received scholarships and those who donate, which is, I think, critical. And I have a wonderful thank you letter from one of the recipients of the Katherine Zock Scholarship, so I'm really proud of that. Yeah, doesn't matter whether you donate $10, $100, $1,000, or $1 million, whatever it is.

Well, we have something in common because I have a scholarship at Geneva College, but it is for a student with a disability. So see, we're along the same lines. You social work, me a student with a disability, and that's why I was so impressed. I think anyone that does that, I just think it's fantastic. So congratulations.

Well, thank you, and congratulations to you too. Uh, you know, students with disabilities, people with disabilities— I mean, on my show, I don't know if you asked me, but I, the p— you know, I have a variety of people on the show, but I have so many people on my show who have disabilities, all kinds of disabilities, And I think there's some of the most impressive interviews that I have done. I mean, some of these young people are doing such incredible things. And I wanted to mention this because obviously I knew I was going to be on the show today. But there is an actress, I don't know if you've heard of her or not. She was on my show, actually, it was a couple of years ago, I think. Mara Lee Talkington. She is— she's She has this, she was born with, she inherited this disease from her mother called Cone-Rhode dystrophy. And then it also has a very long name, which I can't pronounce, but it doesn't really matter. But so she can't see straight ahead. She's kind of, she's legally blind. All she can see kind of is the outside, the perimeter of everything. She promotes young people who are legally blind like herself to in theater for pivotal roles, as she calls them, and in the fight for authentic casting and representation.

Wow.

So she gets all these, you know, these young people who are blind or partially blind. She teaches, she has whole classes online, virtual classes for these kids, gets gets them out there and gets them jobs in the acting field. I mean, it's really— she's been on, you know, the show New Amsterdam, NCIS, all of those shows. I mean, she's really incredible. And she does consulting and anyway, so—

Well, I don't know how she isn't connected with me or some of the national boards I'm on. But I absolutely, Katherine, would love to meet her. She sounds— that is fantastic. And so, you know, I'm glad you brought that up because of your love of drama. Today, what the disability community nationally is really fighting for is that when a movie has someone with a disability in it representing that person, an actor or actress, that has that disability, because that's still something we're fighting for. But for years, you know, other than Marlee Matlin, I mean, you weren't really seeing, uh, people with disabilities who were in wheelchairs, really people being in a wheelchair. So, uh, that's great that she's doing that. That is truly great. But right now it's time for our news. On the half hour every show with our newscaster, Perry Jude Radesik. Perry, welcome to the show.

Hey, thank you, Joyce. So I want to talk about the climate-related emergencies that are just now starting to happen across the country. We see tornadoes now happening, uh, towns destroyed, Hurricane season is around the corner. Here at the Administration for Community Living, in collaboration with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, they've announced a 4-part series of disaster preparedness workshops to support people with disabilities and the organizations that serve us. First free online seminar is going to focus on enhancing disaster preparedness in the Midwest region of the United States. This free webinar is scheduled for April 18th at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. So, that's just 2 days away. This online seminar is going to bring together a very diverse group of participants, including community leaders, emergency responders, government officials, home and community-based service providers, and people with disabilities. And everyone's going to talk about emergencies that are key in the Midwest, like tornadoes, flooding, excessive heat, and other disasters again, particularly impacting the Midwest. Here are just a couple speakers. Kristin Larsen from the Nebraska Council on Developmental Disabilities, Thayne Huynh, who is an independent living coordinator for Advocates for Access. And the moderators are gonna be Allison Barkoff Bender at the Administration for Community Living, and Sherman Gillums Jr., who is FEMA's Disability Coordinator. Joyce, the Administration for Community Living tells us that people with disabilities are 2 to 4 times more likely to be injured or die during a disaster. So, it's really important that we learn about disasters, learn about these various challenges and uncertainties that are going to impact our regions of the country, and participate in this 4-part series impacting these regions of our country. Now, if you can't attend this online seminar or only want to attend the one for your region, that's fine, but make sure you let your friends know about the Midwest regional workshop that's going to happen on the 18th at 11:00 AM. If you go to disabilityrightsPA.org, that's disabilityrightsPA.org, click on today's Advocacy Matters segment You just scroll down to the middle of our page at Disability Rights Pennsylvania. You get all of the information and more that we discussed today. You also get a link to the registration. Again, this webinar is free. It's sponsored by the Administration for Community Living and the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

Wow. Uh, what time is that?

Perry? Yes, it's Thursday, April 18th at 11:00 AM Eastern time.

And do you know how long that will be?

It'll be an hour.

Okay. Who orig— who put this to— who organized this?

Yes, it's the Administration for Community Living. So it would be Alison Barkoff And it would be Sherman Gillums, who is FEMA's disability coordinator. I will say I am in meetings on a regular basis, Sherman Gillums, he is so visible in the disability community. He is a person with a disability and he's FEMA's disability coordinator.

Wow. Well, that is great. That's great there because Perry, just as you said, going way back to Katrina. I do know people. I remember the late Susan Daniels. I don't know if it was her sister, but, you know, I remember that person being on the roof in their— somehow got up there in their wheelchair. I mean, it was terrible, the people that lost their life. And, you know, I'm on the board, the National Board of the World Institute on Disability. And the catastrophes in the world. Oh my goodness, imagine you're in the Ukraine and you have a disability. You know, so we get partners on the ground there, but you know what, I'm so glad you're doing that right here because a disaster is a disaster no matter what it is. So that's great. Please, disabilityrightspa.org. Advocacy Matters. Perry Jude Radesik is the CEO, but I call her my newscaster. So Perry, thank you so much for being with us, and I look forward to talking to you next week.

Sounds good.

Thanks, Joyce Bender.

All right. Bye-bye. Katherine, we are the only source in the United States, when the world, that every week has an up-to-date newscast on what's happening. To the disability community or for the disability community nationally. And Perri Jude is just— she's been on for like 6 years every week.

Well, topic today is critical, obviously. That's the obvious. We actually had an earthquake here in Albany, a small one, but we had one a couple weeks ago. And I always— I do think of that. If you have a disability, how are you going to— and you're by yourself, or how are you, how are you going to navigate that? What are you going to do? Uh, so I mean, that kind of work is, is, is critical. It's great, and it's good that she's— you're all getting it out there. I mean, so important.

Well, I know, and we, we need to spread that news to more people. So you're listening right now, make sure you spread that news. But remember, April 18th, June 30th, it's coming up. Make sure you tell people. And as you already stated, Katherine, your contribution to RISE, the recording service, and recording books for the blind and dyslexic is what really prompted you to move into radio. What was that like for you? Because I want the disability listeners to know what started you, what you did. You mentioned it before, but could you tell us more about it?

Yeah, I, it, I guess my involvement with persons with disabilities evolved. That was the beginning, actually. I did a show at the RISE program, which was the— my usual partner, the one who got me involved, uh, wasn't there. And so I went to do the show, I went to do the RISE program, and there was a woman there, and she had a huge, beautiful dog, a service dog. And she said to me, 'Do you mind if I do the show and my dog is in the booth?' Well, you know what those booths are like. They're like a closet, right? Two of you sitting there, here's the dog, and any kind of noise is going to be heard over the radio. And we're in there for 2 hours. We go in. I think that her dog was able to like turn on the lights. He turned— actually turned on the lights for her in the studio, and she sat on her side, I sat on my side, and he or she was underneath her. And I have to tell you, this— her— I don't remember the dog's name, obviously, but he sat there for 2 hours and never made a sound. She was in a wheelchair, so there was a lot going on in there. We had a lot of people and we had 2 people and we had the dog and, you know, she had a pretty big chair and it went off. I mean, it was so smooth. It was great because I was kind of thinking, oh my goodness, we're gonna have all this extra noise. No, that was my own prejudice, right? Beautiful. It was a great show, but that's the good stuff. And I wanna respond to something that you said right before we took the break. People with disabilities have to be out there and visible and get rid of the stereotypes. And I keep getting back to some of these young people. And so I want to share another story with you because at Christmas time I was in— I'm in the city, I told you I live in the city part-time, and I was taking with my daughter-in-law my grandchildren to see the Rockettes. And I haven't seen the Rockettes in 100 years. So the show was great. The dancers were great. Fun show. Everybody loved it. And I don't know if it was the next day someone mentioned it to me or I saw it in the newspaper, but one of the Rockettes, and maybe you know this, I did not know this, doesn't have a hand. She's a person with disability. And I said, I didn't, I didn't notice, to tell you the truth. I mean, I never, you know, I'm watching them dance and everything. So of course I looked her up. This is another incredible young lady, 23 years old, gorgeous. She's on— you can go watch her video on— actually, she has a website on the internet, and her name is Sydney Mescher, and she tells her story online. She was born without a left hand, and it's another rare condition, and I also cannot pronounce the condition, but so she doesn't have a hand. But at a young age, her parents decided it's the way they treated her, it's how they brought her up, they are going— she was, you know, they encouraged her to do whatever she wanted to do, which was dance. She got involved in dance and she became, uh, she's a really beautiful dancer, and she decided she was going to try out for the Rockettes. I mean, she's still— she's 23, and to me she's still a kid, right? She's young. She didn't She auditioned in 2019. She, no, she auditioned before that and she didn't, you know, she didn't make it, but she persevered. She went on. She now, she made it and she's a Rockette and she is this incredible, beautiful lady out there. She doesn't have a prosthesis. I mean, you can see, I mean, now I'm looking, I was looking online and she doesn't have her hand. She's a beautiful, beautiful dancer. And she said dancing makes her feel powerful. It's powerful. And she talks about inclusivity and visibility. And I think visibility is really important that people with disabilities have to, I mean, this is what you do. I mean, get out there, get out there and dance and be in any, on the media. And be in business and make yourself known. And, you know, that's what gets it. And young women like this are doing just that. And they are leaders. Actually, she just came out with a book. I haven't read it. 2023, Dancing Through Life: The True Story of Sydney Mescher, a Professional Dancer with a Limb Difference. That's the title of the book.

You know what, isn't that inspirational? Yes. To young people, really to everyone, but seeing now if you're a young person living with a disability and you have people lowering the bar, what do I always say? Remember how awesome you are and do not let anyone lower that bar. Look at her. I mean, the Rockettes, world famous. Yeah, when I think of New York City at Christmas, I'll bet almost every person you interviewed, if you said, tell me what comes to your mind, they're going to say two things: the Rockettes and the Christmas tree. And the Rockettes— I think Christmas, I think Rockettes, uh, and they are premier. So to do that is an incredible accomplishment. Did you have her on your radio show?

No, but I'm gonna— I have to get her on the radio show. I just— well, because now she just wrote this book, so it would be a great opportunity to, to have her on the show.

Let me know.

I will.

I mean, tell everyone, let me know.

Talk about role models. I mean, there's a model.

Yeah, well, breaking stigma, which you said. Yeah, breaking down stigma. Um, so let's talk about your show. Tell us what you talk about. When is it on? Why did you go to Voice America? How do people listen to the show? Tell us all about it.

Okay, I have been on Voice America, I don't think as long as you have, almost as long, but not quite. And the— and internet radio was new at the time, I— or fairly new. And I was researching, and I thought, you know, I think this is the wave of the future. I mean, here's internet radio. You don't have to go to the station. You can be anywhere in the world. And I broadcast my show anywhere in the world. I broadcast it in Europe. I broadcast it, yeah, all over the world too. So that was appealing. And I, I'm trying to think initially what I I was connected with somebody who said— and I actually don't remember who the person was, but they said, "Would you be interested in Voice America?" And I think— I don't know whether they called me or— no, I called them. I called them. And that was the beginning. And my show— my show has changed. You know, the format has changed. I found for me and every, you know, we all have different formats. I have, it's an hour show, but it's really two half-hour shows, like one guest for half an hour, and then the second guest for the next half hour. But there, it's an hour, but really, if you want to access the show, you only have to access the half hour, if that's what one wants to do. So that kind of worked for me. And As you know, you know, when you're doing a radio show, that evolves too. I used to have a co-host, and then have an interview guest. That didn't work. I wasn't as comfortable with that. And so I think kind of I've nailed it for me. I like that. I get my guests from, because I've been in the business for a long time, from PR people that I started with. That, uh, you know, I sought in the beginning, sought out, and now they come back to me and they'll just say, you know, I think this person or this or persons is appropriate for the show. That's how my show works. So it's sort of— I'm going to say word of mouth, not really. It's like the PR people that I've worked with and I continue to work with. And, um, so, or if I see somebody that I think Let's see, like Sydney Mescher that I just mentioned. Yeah, I would reach out to her.

Wow, that is great. Now, when is it on? When is your show on?

The show is, is on Wednesdays at 10 o'clock Eastern, 10 to 11 Eastern time.

10 to 11 Eastern.

Yeah, but it's on demand, as you say.

Yes, well, it's live, but you know, with people's world of work work and just busyness, it's very convenient for people to go on demand, which means you can go to voiceamerica.com, really almost every social media venue starting with Spotify all the way through, and listen to the show on demand. That's why if you're listening and you're thinking, wow, this is really a neat show, The Katherine Zocque Show, Voice America, voiceamerica.com. You can listen to the show, tell everyone about the show, because you can see how interesting and exciting it is. And also, if you're a person with a disability, I know you can tell Katherine gets it, which is what it's all about.

Exactly.

And, and I think, Joyce, I don't know if that's— or is your experience, but people aren't doing things so much in real time. They just want to do things. We're used to doing things or having the opportunity to do things on demand on the internet. So you can listen to the show 24/7, listen to your show 24/7, listen to my show 24/7, which is great.

Yeah, right. That is great. And that is the way that it should be. So, Catherine, um, we're going to go to break for a moment and then we'll be right back. So don't go away, anyone. You don't want to miss Catherine Zox. We'll be right back.

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You're listening to Disability Matters. If you have a question or comment, call in toll-free at 1-866-472-5788. That's 1-866-472-5788. Now please welcome back the host of Disability Matters. Here is Joyce Bender.

Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. If you just joined us, we are talking to Katherine Zox, the host of the Katherine Zox Show on VoiceAmerica.com. You have got to go listen to the show every Wednesday. Is that right, Katherine?

Every Wednesday. That is right.

10 o'clock.

10 o'clock Eastern.

10 o'clock Eastern every Wednesday. I mean, tell everyone because she has such an exciting show and she is so dedicated to our community. So make sure you tell everyone. And right now we're gonna go to our What's Happening at Bender with Gerald Homme. Gerald, What's happening at Bender?

Oh, hi Joyce, it's so great to talk to you. Thank you for letting me call in again. You know, I did want to just shout out to all the companies out there that are looking for top talent today because, you know, me and my recruitment team, we have interviewed so many great candidates with highly marketable skills in cybersecurity, in project management, in program management, in AI development, and so many in-demand skills in the marketplace. And it's so hard today to find great, dedicated, loyal talent, and that talent is people with disabilities. So what's going on today is Bender has a database currently of over 30,000 candidates with disabilities. And we all know that hiring people with disabilities is a business solution. It's not about going and helping somebody. It's about getting a candidate who's going to be a dedicated, positive impact to your bottom line in your organization. So if you're a company out there struggling to find great talent that will stick for the roles that you need, Make sure you get in contact with Bender Consulting Services. Visit benderconsult.com today to learn more about our services.

And thank you, Gerald. Our great guest here, Katherine Zox, is going to spread the news to the University of Alabama. How about that?

Yep. University of Albany.

I'm sorry. But you can spread it to Alabama too. Albany. Albany. Yeah, I got that. I got the A right.

You got the A right.

And I got the L right.

Albany. Albany.

Albany.

She has a scholarship there at the University of Albany, and she's going to spread the news there for our students with disabilities. How awesome is that, Gerald?

And, and thank you so much, and thank you for all that you're doing. Yeah, I, I— and thank you for all you're doing. I, I am going— I will— I— tonight at at this event, I will spread the word. I will talk to people. Yeah.

All right. Yeah. Always looking for people. Gerald, thank you. Where the rubber meets the road is employment, business, not charity. Thanks, Gerald. And that is what it's all about. It's about a business solution. I always say paychecks, not pity. And we're always looking for college students seeking employment, for positions in the STEM area and other business disciplines. But back to you, Katherine, I have a question for you. Who is your role model?

I knew you were going to ask that. I always have difficulty with that question. There isn't one person that I would say is a role model. It's a conglomerate of people who are role models for me. You know, in general, people with disabilities people with disabilities have always been a role model for me. I look at people, I keep, you know, the people that I just, the young women that I just mentioned, they're my role models. I used to ski with my family. We were a big skiing family and we would encounter skiers who were blind, skiers who had one leg. Now, I'm a good skier, but I struggled and I got to the point where I was really good, but I would look at some of these skiers who had disabilities who were absolutely incredible, who were able— I mean, to me, that's one kind of— this has obviously to do with sports, but I'm always in awe. I'm always in awe, I have to say. And I look to them because when I feel like I can't do it, I can't do it, and then I look to somebody with a disability and say, look what they're doing, why can't I do it? And so those are my role models.

Yeah, it's hard sometimes to name one person.

It really is hard.

It is, yeah. It's hard to name one person.

I mean, there's—

But they obviously had an impact on your life.

Absolutely. Yes, always, always having. And the people and the individual, the people that I interview on the show, they always have a story to tell that, you know, it's— I'm using the word transformative. You know, the show, everybody's show should have some piece of transformative. You know, when you interview somebody, there's always a piece that you— a takeaway that you get from that person. You know, 10 years later, you may not be able to remember the name, or even the name of the show, but what they shared with you had an impact. And so I always call that kind of the takeaway. It is transformative. But, um—

I agree with you. So, you know, when I was thinking about you, when I read your bio and even hearing you today, wow, you have done so much in your life. You really have. You have so many great accomplishments. But if you had to name one thing What would you say is the greatest accomplishment of your career?

That too is hard to answer, but I, I like hard questions. That's a hard question. That is a hard question. But I would say, and I'm getting back to the University at Albany, and I said I was very much, I was very engaged, I am engaged with them, with the students. I've had two students who came from very impoverished backgrounds, who put themselves through school, who had scholarships, who— nobody helped them. They helped themselves. And these young women that I mentored at the university have turned out to be these incredible people. And I think when each one of them— one of them has a social work degree, now she has an MBA, the other one has a master's in social work. They all have, you know, terrific jobs. And they both wrote me, or I have letters from each one of them thanking me for helping them to get to where they are. I think I, I saved those letters, obviously. I was very close to these young women. So I think maybe I hope that answers your question. I mean, that's—

You know what? Yeah, doesn't that do it all the time?

Yes, it does. Yes. Yeah.

Well, listen, Katherine, I could tell how much I liked you because we already came to the end of the show. But I, so I have to say again, this is Katherine Zox from the Katherine Zox, Z-O-X, Show. Make sure you listen on Wednesdays at 10 o'clock. Thank you so much, Katherine. For being with me today. It was great having you.

Well, thanks so much. Yes, thank you so much for having me on the show. I really appreciate it. Thank you, Joyce Bender.

You're welcome. And we end every show with a quote, so today it has to be this: "Anytime in radio that you can reach somebody on an emotional level, you're really connecting," said Casey Kasem. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters, at voiceamerica.com. Talk to you all next week, and in the words of Mary Brooker, when you go out today, remember, choose joy.

Voice America would like to thank 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. VoiceAmerica.com.