In this next interview for A Bigger Voice, I talk with with Kim Dority, VP of Content for Disaboom.com, an online community with over 90,000 registered users, for people with disabilities and those whose lives they touch. Disaboom has been widely recognized (by organizations as diverse as the Obama campaign, Business Week, Ford, and major universities) as a voice and a rich resource for the disabled community.

In this first part of a four-part interview, Kim tells the story of Dr. J. Glen House, founder of Disaboom, a for-profit company. Dr. House suffered a ski accident while in his twenties, which left him as a quadraplegic. He went on to medical school, eventually becoming the medical director of a rehab center at a Colorado hospital.  Along the way, he discovered that it wasn’t just a matter of helping people learn to use a wheelchair. It was about helping them create a new life. You’ll hear Kim talk about Dr. House’s wisdom and how that influenced his vision for Disaboom.

This is a beautiful example of how a person’s life story connects to his wisdom and vision. The end result is a compelling message that attracts a community. This part of the interview is about 10 minutes long:

Also notice that the story and message is crystallized to the point that Kim is able to articulate it clearly.  We don’t need to hear from Dr. House directly to understand the change he’s trying to make in the world or why he’s doing what he’s doing. How well could someone else tell your story to others? 

In Part 2, to be posted later this week, Kim talks about Disaboom’s community and community-building efforts.