A Reflection on the CEO Commission’s 2023 Hill Day

Note: Jed recently represented the NFXF at the Hill Day of our partner the CEO Commission. The CEO Commission is working to advance disability inclusive employment by inspiring and engaging business leaders to drive change through policy, practice, and culture. Jed shared his reflections on this powerful experience with us.

Incredible couple days this past week on Capitol Hill standing up for disability rights with the CEO Commission for Disability Employment with so many truly amazing people and having our wonderful annual national meeting.

They came in from all over the country to fight together for legislation to change archaic and unfair laws that hinder people with disabilities striving for financial independence through meaningful employment. These laws don’t afford them the same rights as every other human being without disabilities. Here are just a few of those amazing people:

• Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton who has a daughter with Down syndrome. She knows all too well the challenges facing the community and has been incredibly supportive of our mission.

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  Kayla McKeon, the first ever registered lobbyist with Down syndrome. She is one of the bravest and best self-advocates I have met in my life →

• John Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, who founded John’s Crazy Socks, an incredibly successful sock brand, with his dad Mark X. Cronin. They speak together all over the country as brilliant self-advocates.
• Nish Parikh and Hetal Parikh co-founders of Rangam a global minority, women- and disability-owned workforce solutions company who is one of our newest partners.
• James Atwater, deaf co-founder of InReturn Strategies, a marketing solution for innovative companies who desire to tap into the disability community and their families and friends for employment opportunities.
• Patrick Bardsley, a fellow colleague from the print industry and CEO of Spectrum Designs Foundation, a screenprinting and embroidery company. The majority of their employees are people with autism.

We are so grateful for Kandi Pickard, Ryan Rotundo, and the rest of the leadership team for bringing on Rob Snow as the new executive director of the Commission and for their tireless work setting up our Hill Day and helping lay the foundation for this wonderful organization.

Also grateful for these forward-thinking organizations — SHRM, National Down Syndrome Society, and Voya Financial — for co-founding the Commission together to address employment challenges and lack of opportunities to people with disabilities. As well as the National Fragile X Foundation for the honor of being their board member and representative on the Commission.

Let’s keep fighting for change and being the voice of the disabled community!”

Learn more about the CEO Commission’s policy initiatives.