Why 70% Of Disabled Talent Is Being Left Out ft. Joyce Bender

What if the thing that nearly killed you became the catalyst for changing thousands of lives? In this powerful episode, Richard is joined by Joyce Bender, founder of Bender Consulting Services and the Bender Leadership Academy, whose personal experience of epilepsy and a near-fatal seizure led her to transform how corporate America employs people with disabilities. Joyce pulls no punches: hiring people with disabilities is not charity — it is a smart business investment, and the data backs it up.From winning the President's Award at the White House to placing 200 people per year with the National Security Agency, Joyce has spent three decades dismantling the stigma, fear, and ignorance that keep 70 percent of disabled people out of the workforce. She shares the story of her angel at the movie theatre, why people with epilepsy have firepower, and what it truly means when someone arrives at work on a stretcher rather than miss a single day.Key TakeawaysSomething bad can happen to you — what defines you is what you make of it. Hiring people with disabilities is a business investment, not an act of charity, with exceptional retention and engagement. Stigma, fear, and ignorance are the primary barriers keeping disabled talent out of the workforce. Education changes everything — the iDisability software platform was built to tackle workplace stigma at scale. People with disabilities who have been excluded value work in a way that consistently outperforms expectations.Episode HighlightsJoyce's misdiagnosed seizures leading to a fractured skull, brain haemorrhage, and coma at a movie theatre in 1985. The mysterious doctor who appeared out of nowhere, saved her life, and was never identified. How she pivoted from IT executive search to launching Bender Consulting Services in 1995. Placing 200 people per year with disabilities at the National Security Agency in STEM roles. The employee who called an Uber to hospital after being hit by a cab — and was back at work the next day. The iDisability software platform and the Slaughter Stigma Campaign with bestselling author Karin Slaughter.Timestamps00:00 Introduction — Richard welcomes Joyce Bender 01:00 Growing up with undiagnosed epilepsy 05:30 Pivoting from IT executive search to disability employment 09:00 Why hiring people with disabilities is a business investment 11:00 Retention, engagement, and the 70% unemployment figure 14:00 The Bender Leadership Academy and anti-bullying work 18:00 Teaching confidence, initiative, and public speaking to students 20:00 500 students on Disability Mentoring Day 22:00 The iDisability software platform — 52 modules 25:00 The Slaughter Stigma Campaign with Karin Slaughter 27:00 The employee who went to work on a stretcher 31:00 New focus: employment for people with intellectual disabilities 32:00 University of Pittsburgh partnership and AI in healthcare 33:00 Final words — paychecks not pity🔗 Connect with Joyce Bender Website: www.benderconsult.com / www.benderleadership.org LInkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyce-bender-b840081/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyce_a_bender/⭐️ Connect and SubscribeThank you for joining us on The Business of Thinking podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe and leave a rating! It helps us bring more insightful content on the psychology of high performance. Find more about Richard Reid's work at www.richard-reid.com.Download the first two chapters of Richard's "Charisma Unlocked", audio or PDF version for free and begin your transformation towards authentic charisma:https://richard-reid.com/master-authentic-charisma/Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/