Above All, Connecting People: A Revelation from White House Twitter Town Hall

Sitting in a Twitter town hall held at the White House and hosted by President Barack Obama and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey earlier this year, John Robinson saw afresh the importance of connecting people.

Having just launched a new business nine months ago, after a 20-year career in television production, and as a person with a significant physical disability, John is well-experienced in digging out the different best paths to a meaningful and champion-style life.

John Robinson

Education and employment are critical, he notes.

But he’s seeing similar if not greater opportunity in connectivity, including the connectivity social media offers, the latter of which he has etched into his new business offering. The White House Twitter town hall added weight to his belief.

John says President Obama also reaffirmed this with his comment during the session “you can start a company and suddenly help bring the whole world together.”

As someone who has a disability, and who is dedicated through his new business to supporting people who have a disability to realize their employment and education dreams, the value in connectivity is, if not heightened, perhaps more clear.

There may be less delusion about the power and potential of one person operating alone.

John has wrapped the bulk of his business around this idea.

First, as a video producer, his company, aptly called Our Ability, is well on the way to creating a library of short videos showcasing people who have a disability living the lives they’ve dreamed of.

These are intended to inspire.

“If others out there with similar abilities can see their success and work towards it, then I’ve done something really good,” says John.

The second part of his social mission is to bring people who have a disability to interact with one another, not just for the sake of interacting, but with some larger purpose, John notes, whether that purpose is employment, education or friendship.

Combine this with how he’s able to finance this mission — operating as a small business providing hired video production for businesses, non-profits and universities — John says he sees his company helping to build a better world from several different angles. His company is also creating jobs for people, seeking people who have a disability in particular.

John notes as a young person growing up with a disability, he had his role models, but no one with a disability he felt he could look up to. He’s aiming to make that a different experience for the children and youth of today.

To learn more about John and Our Ability, click this link.

Our Ability has recently partnered with the Huffington Post to publish a blog and video each month, widening the circle of people seeing and lifting up these video stories about people who have a disability living winning lives.

Axiom News will also be linking to Our Ability's new videos as they come available. Check this Inclusion section for updates.

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