IntellectAbility and John’s Crazy Socks Team Up To Spread Disability Awareness
Published October 2023
While many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) struggle to find meaningful employment, John Lee Cronin created his own job based on his love of unique socks.
It is estimated that only about 18% of working-age adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are employed. Those who are employed typically work limited hours in entry-level positions, earn low wages, and have limited access to employee benefits.
John was in his last year of High School, where he studied retailing and customer service. He had to figure out what he’d do for work and wasn’t happy with the employment options available to him. Instead of taking a job that didn’t align with his interests, John leveraged his love of unique socks and co-founded John’s Crazy Socks with his father, Mark. The company was founded in 2016 and is committed to providing meaningful employment for people with IDD. According to Mark, “We hire people with differing abilities and build our workforce around them.”
When IntellectAbility, the most trusted, leading authority and resource in the field of health risk management for people with IDD, was looking for a unique way to market its products, John’s Crazy Socks was a perfect fit.
“At IntellectAbility, we recognize the importance of meaningful employment for people with IDD and knew, when we were looking for a unique item to give away at conferences, that purchasing custom-designed socks highlighting our company logo would be a great hit. We also wanted to support a company whose mission aligned with ours”, said IntellectAbility President Dr. Craig Escudé.
According to John, when you purchase his product, “You’re not just getting a pair of socks, you’re getting a dose of happiness.”
“Our sock order was easy to place, designed to our specifications, and delivered on time,” said Escudé. “We couldn’t be more satisfied with the product and the service, and we look forward to sharing a little bit of John’s happiness with others.”
What is IntellectAbility planning to do with all those socks? They plan to give them away to people who work in the field of supports and services for people with IDD at upcoming trade shows and conferences. According to Escudé, “We attend many conferences throughout the year focusing on health risk management and person-centered thinking tools for supporters of people with IDD and know John’s socks will be a hit for those visiting our booth.”
To learn more about John’s Crazy Socks, go to JohnsCrazySocks.com.