Joyce Bender is the Founder and CEO of Bender Consulting Services, Inc., and the Bender Leadership Academy, located in Pittsburgh, PA. Her focus for both organizations is employment for people with disabilities. As a woman living with epilepsy and hard of hearing, she dedicated her life to a crusade for youth and adults to gain the dream of competitive employment. She works tirelessly to break down the barriers and stigma that exist for people with disabilities.

In 1985, Joyce had a life-threatening accident due to epilepsy that caused a cerebral hemorrhage requiring subsequent brain surgery. Against all odds, Joyce recovered from this accident that left her with a 70 percent hearing loss in one ear and a realization that she had epilepsy. This accident changed the trajectory of her life and led to the founding of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. in 1995.

She serves as the Chair of the Epilepsy Association of Western and Central PA, the Vice-Chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities, on the President’s Advisory Board for Carlow University, as a Trustee for The Bazelon Center on Mental Health Law, World Institute on Disability (WID), Homeless Children’s Education Fund, Variety the Children’s Charity, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO), Disability Rights of PA, and the Advisory Board of the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee.

Joyce has served as a disability employment expert for the U.S. State Department in Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Panama, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Libya, and Nigeria. She conducted training for female entrepreneurs in business for Austria. She has been featured in periodicals including Reader’s Digest, New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Chicago Tribune. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Geneva College, and hosts the radio show, Disability Matters with Joyce Bender, on voiceamerica.com for over twenty years.

Joyce has received numerous awards and recognitions that include the following:

• 2024 Henry Viscardi Award Winner
• 2024 Women of Influence, Pittsburgh Business Times
• 2018 Highmark selected Joyce as a Protégé and the first disability-owned business in supplier diversity
• 2016 USBLN, Supplier of the Year Award
• 2015 Susan M. Daniels Mentoring Hall of Fame
• 2015 Volunteers of America Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2014 United Way Veteran’s Donor Reception Community Service Award
• 2014 Catherine Variety Sheridan Humanitarian Award – Variety the Children’s Charity
• 2013 AAPD Justice for All Corporate Award
• 2013 Geneva Distinguished Service Award
• 2011 Epilepsy Foundation Hero of Epilepsy Award
• 2009 Woman of Distinction, Girl Scouts of America
• 2008 YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh Tribute to Women Award in the Entrepreneur Category
• 2008 Diamond Award – Pittsburgh Business Times
• 2007 Sattler Humanitarian Award – ACHIEVA
• 2006 Easter Seals Distinguished Service award
• 2005 Gertrude Labowitz Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2003 Bush Administration’s New Freedom Initiative Award
• 2000 James F. Compton Humanitarian Award – Life’s Work
• 1999 President’s Award, received from President Clinton at the White House
• 1998 Fifty Best Women in Pennsylvania
• 1996 Carlow University Woman of Spirit