I write this article to urge the New York State Assembly to pass Senate Bill S.28 and end the discriminatory, dehumanizing practice of paying people with disabilities less than the minimum wage.
As the co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks and the father of John Cronin, an entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome, I find it heartbreaking and infuriating that in 2025, New York still allows employers to legally pay people with disabilities as little as $0.25 an hour. This is not just an outdated policy, it is a moral failure and an economic mistake.
A Legacy of Exclusion
The subminimum wage was created in 1938 under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. While the law introduced important labor protections, it also carved out an exception that has haunted people with disabilities ever since: it allowed them to be paid less simply because of their disability.
What began as a misguided attempt to create opportunity has turned into a structural trap. Sheltered workshops, where these wages are most often paid, rarely prepare people for full-wage employment. Instead, they keep people in segregated environments with little chance for growth or advancement. They keep people busy.
We Know Better And We Do Better
At John’s Crazy Socks, more than half of our employees have a differing ability. They are not charity cases. They are essential to our success. They pick and pack orders with precision, maintain a fulfillment accuracy rate better than Amazon, and help us ship thousands of packages every week with same-day service.
We are a thriving business because of their contributions, not in spite of them.
If we can succeed by paying fair wages to all employees, so can others. The truth is, hiring people with disabilities is not an act of kindness, it’s good business.
A Personal Call to Action
This fight is personal. If my son John had been born in 1938, he might not have survived infancy, let alone gone on to co-found a global sock business, testify before Congress, and speak at the United Nations. John’s story proves that disability does not determine destiny.
But policy does. And when our laws tell people with disabilities that their labor is worth less, we are telling them that they are worth less. That message is unacceptable.
Senate Bill S.28 Is the Right Step
This bill would eliminate the subminimum wage in New York. It ensures that people with disabilities are paid at least the same minimum wage as their peers in comparable roles. It doesn’t create special treatment, it demands equal treatment.
Other states like Maryland and New Hampshire have already taken this step. New York, a state that prides itself on leadership and equity, must do the same.
Join Us in Spreading Fairness
At John’s Crazy Socks, our mission is to Spread Happiness. But happiness cannot be built on injustice. Eliminating the subminimum wage is not only fair, it’s necessary. It’s time for the New York Assembly to finish what the Senate started. Pass S.28 and make New York a state where dignity and opportunity are for everyone.
Let’s build a future where no one is left behind.
