There are more than 180,000 ABLE account holders, but somebody had to be first. Mark and Sara chat today with Anne Gerhardt - the first ABLE account holder in the world. Along with Anne is her dad Chip and Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague.

John Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, was about to graduate high school and he didn’t like his job prospects. But he knew who he wanted to work with. His dad, Mark Cronin. After throwing out a few ideas, they landed on John’s Crazy Socks, launching in 2016. They then proceeded to break every marketing rule there is, and somehow this social enterprise became a smash hit with people.

Like most parents and caregivers, Laura Castillo had never heard of the rare neurological condition, 5 Minus P, until her daughter, Katie, was diagnosed with it. The news from the doctor overwhelmed her at first, but since then, Laura has gone on to become a fierce advocate for people and families living with the syndrome, serving for many years as the Executive Director of the 5P Minus Society. She joins our hosts to talk about how that diagnosis fundamentally changed not just her life, but her family’s and all of those around her.

In episode 22, Mark and Sara talk to Daniel Garcia, a blind ABLE account holder. Daniel discusses how he used his ABLE account to save up and buy a house.

In episode 21, we have Shaun Snyder, CEO of the National Association of State Treasurers, discussing the importance of financial education and the role of NAST and ABLE Accounts. Shaun shares insights on leadership, relationships, and his efforts to promote ABLE accounts through free legal education.

Senator Schmitt recently sat down with our hosts Mark and Sara to talk about how his family’s experience pushed him to become a disability advocate and a legislative champion for ABLE accounts.

When his infant son, Stephen, was diagnosed with a rare condition, Tuberous Sclerosis, Schmitt was a partner in a law firm, married and leading a great life, but Stephen’s diagnosis made him realize that, as he puts it, “that was something more I should be doing.” And for Schmitt that meant running for public office.

Part 2 of our living history with the unstoppable Sandy Swift Parrino and how the Disabilities Act ♿ (ADA) came to be. Through Sandy’s leadership as Chair of the National Council on Disability [IG @ncdgov] (NCD), the group had written the report, “Toward Independence,” which Sandy describes as the “birth of the ADA,” and had a meeting in 1986 with then Vice President George H.W. Bush. Suddenly NCD was on the map and players!