Part of our mission at John's Crazy Socks is to show what people with differing abilities can do. As our business has grown, it has given us a platform where people will pay attention and listen to what we say. This creates an obligation for us to speak up and use that platform to advocate for people with differing abilities.
With that spirit, John and Mark X. Cronin, the co-founders of John's Crazy Socks, spent the better part of this week in Washington D.C. promoting employment for people with differing abilities and meeting with members of Congress to advocate for legislative changes that would protect the rights of people with disabilities.
John Cronin said, "It is important to make our voice heard and to speak up for my colleagues and everyone with a differing ability."
The Employment Summit Organized by the CEO Commission for Disability Employment
We are members of the CEO Commission for Disability Employment and on Tuesday participated in the Employment Summit that they organized. This event allowed us to learn what other organizations and the federal government are doing to promote employment for people with differing abilities. We listened to a conversation between Larysa Kautz from Melwood and Assistant Secretary of Labor Taryn Williams, and spoke to staff from the Department of Labor about ways we can collaborate with them to promote employment.
We heard a wonderful panel discussion led by our friend Patrick Bardsley from Spectrum Design that included Rylin Rodgers from Microsoft and David Rice from the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the National Institute of Health. We had the opportunity to speak with Rylin Rodgers, whom we have worked with in the past, to learn of the new efforts that Microsoft is making to employ and support a neurodiverse community.
That evening, we heard a stirring talk from John's friend, David Egan, an author and policy expert who happens to have Down syndrome.
Going Up to Capitol Hill
John and Mark spent all day Wednesday on Capitol Hill as part of the CEO Commission Hill Day, meeting with legislators and their staff. They focused on two pieces of legislation:
- Eliminating the Subminimum Wage: Current law allows employers to receive a certificate that permits them to pay people with a disability less than minimum wage. As a result, there are people in this country paid as little as five cents an hour to work. This program was established as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. It may have made sense over 80 years ago, but it can no longer stand.
- Raising the SSI Asset Levels: To qualify for SSI, your assets must be below the SSI asset levels. The current level - $2,000 - was set in 1989 and has not changed in 35 years. Even worse, the levels for a married couple are only $3,000, making the current law anti-marriage and anti-family. We support a bipartisan bill that would raise the asset levels to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples, and would tie future increases to inflation.
John and Mark spoke about other bills as well, but these two were the main focus as they met with Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate.
Mark X. Cronin said, "We have credibility because we speak as a business and can demonstrate the success we have achieved by hiring people with differing abilities. More than half of our colleagues have a differing ability. We can show that hiring people with differing abilities is not altruism; it is good business."
We will continue to meet with legislators and advocate for change. It is part of our mission, part of the reason we operate John’s Crazy Socks.
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $750,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, we are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
