To the Editor,
Organizations in New York can pay a person with a disability as little as $.05 per hour, and it is legal. This must end.
It’s time for New York to eliminate the subminimum wage and treat people with disabilities with the fairness they deserve. The State Senate has passed Bill S.28 to do just that, and now it is time for the Assembly to act before their session ends.
As the father of John Cronin, a young man with Down Syndrome, I’ve seen firsthand what people with differing abilities can accomplish when given the chance. John co-founded a business with me, John’s Crazy Socks, and we have learned that hiring people with differing abilities is not charity, it’s good business. More than half of our employees have a disability. They work hard, deliver incredible results, and earn the same wage as their colleagues.
The subminimum wage law, a relic of 1938, allows people with disabilities to be paid as little as 5 cents an hour. That’s not just outdated; it’s wrong. It tells people that their labor, and their lives, are worth less.
New York should lead the nation by ending this discriminatory practice. No exceptions. No more second-class workers. I urge the State Assembly to pass S.28 and help build a more inclusive and just future for all.
Sincerely,
Mark X. Cronin
Co-Founder and President, John’s Crazy Socks
Farmingdale, NY
