Connecting Through Story
How MyQuillo Uses Lived Experience to Help the I/DD Community Learn, Discover, and Connect
John Dickerson
We at MyQuillo appreciate the invitation to share stories with you – for that is what we are all about! Helen is doing a remarkable job sharing such important stories, and we are honored to be part of it. The MyQuillo app is a place to share and find stories where you can Learn, Discover and Connect.
A little about me. My name is John Dickerson, and I was born in South Dakota. In 1973, I joined The Arc of South Dakota, spent 42 years with The Arc of Indiana, had a short-lived career in politics, and then I found the next challenge: I knew there had to be a better way to reach families, self-advocates and disability professionals.
With help from so many we launched a new platform that was based on positive psychology, the science of helping people set high expectations, and the joy of learning, discovering, and connecting. Today we have MyQuillo, an app and digital platform available for individuals and families across the country. The Quillo video library is full of nearly 2,000 short videos from family members, self-advocates, and professionals - including your own Seth Keller, MD!
“The shortest distance between two people is a story.”
Our goal is to provide a safe place for people to learn, discover and connect. MyQuillo is a trusted space and is different from social media. Video content is curated and presented on key topics, where viewers will hear from people who share their knowledge and lived experience. MyQuillo also offers a space to safely invite others to join them on the app through Circles of Support - at no additional cost!
As an app and digital platform for your phone, tablet, or computer, MyQuillo connects people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families with ideas and resources through short videos. Get everyone on the same page as you build the life you want, whether planning ahead, navigating systems, or finding community.
How we support each other in these times is a new challenge. MyQuillo is designed solely for the I/DD community, built by people with over 100 years of experience building community. In the months to come, you’ll see videos shared with Helen. Visit www.MyQuillo.com to learn more and subscribe. Each month we will share a video with you in Helen, offering a bit about it and hope it helps you bridge the distance between people.
With so much information out there, sometimes it is hard to know where to start. On MyQuillo, hear from Stephanie and others from around the country – including people with disabilities, parents, community members and more – sharing stories and lived experiences. Here is our first video we wanted to share from a mom recounting how she and others learned about a pre-natal diagnosis.
In this MyQuillo video, “Advice for Doctors: Sharing a Prenatal Diagnosis,” Stephanie Garner reflects back to the "flashbulb moment" when her doctor told her during a prenatal (before birth) appointment that her daughter might have Down syndrome. She talks about how important it is for that message to be shared in a compassionate and positive way, surrounded by resources and opportunities rather than sadness.
Visit www.MyQuillo.com to learn more or contact John John@MyQuillo.com. MyQuillo: Your Place to Learn, Discover, and Connect.
John Dickerson
CEO/Founder Quillo
John Dickerson began his career with The Arc of South Dakota in 1973 and on his first day remembers attending a meeting to draft the first statewide rules for special education. He spent five years with The Arc of Indiana from 1974-1979; four years at The Arc of the US from 1979-1983 and returned to The Arc of Indiana as Executive Director from 1983-2015. After a brief adventure in politics, John founded Red Road Ventures and led the development of two apps, Quillo Pro and Quillo Connect.
Quillo Pro offers exciting new technology to increase staff retention for organizations supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Quillo Connect provides a unique communication platform that connects families and people with IDD to each other and to the IDD system. Quillo is now utilized in 15 states, including Indiana.