Images(2)

Mug, Coffee

Object number2024.10.1

MediumCeramic; Glaze

Credit LineGift of Joyce Bender

DescriptionDark blue glazed ceramic coffee mug. Circular top opening narrows to circular base. C-shaped applied handle on the proper right side of the mug body. Front and back of mug have gold advertising text. White ceramic ground visible on underside in white ceramic foot. Underside has dark blue glazed center.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 1.722 x 4.75 x 3.375 in. (4.4 x 12.1 x 8.6 cm)
InscriptionsFront of body has gold text below triangle of diagonal gold lines "BENDER / CONSULTING SERVICES, INC. / www.benderconsult.com".

Back of body has gold text "Competitive Jobs / Mean Freedom".
Historical NotesBender Consulting Services coffee mug with Linda Dickerson quote. Linda Dickerson and Joyce Bender were friends and fellow advocates for people with disabilities in the workforce. When Joyce consulted Linda regarded her motto of “jobs mean freedom” it was Linda who suggested it be, “competitive jobs mean freedom” as shown on the mug. New Galilee, Pennsylvania native Joyce Bender worked as an IT recruiter in Pittsburgh in the 1980s. A request to train students with disabilities in resume writing and interviewing at the Community College of Allegheny County’s Institute of Handicapped Children led to a pivot in her career. Joyce realized that people with disabilities were underemployed and not utilizing their skills and degrees. She started Bender Consulting which focused on finding competitive employment for people with disabilities in the IT sector. As an adult, Bender was diagnosed with epilepsy and lost hearing in her right ear as a result of fall related to a seizure. Through Bender’s advocacy, CCAC rebranded this program as the Institute of Advanced Technology. She became known for her saying, “People with disabilities need paychecks not pity.”

Related person Joyce Cilitti Bender

Related institution Bender Consulting Services, Inc.

Related person Linda A. Dickerson (1961 - 2020)

Subjects