On December 27th, Texas and the world lost a true champion of independent living, Mr. Bob Kafka.
Bob was an organizer of ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Care). Much of Bob’s work helped to pave the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the law that changed the lives of people with disabilities around the country.
Bob opened the doors to accessibility at all levels-national, state, and local. In Austin, he worked tirelessly to ensure that people with disabilities finally had access to public transportation and make curb cuts the norm. He worked on Medicaid funding and the Money Follows the Person programs, which were begun in Texas before becoming nation-wide. Most recently, he championed voting rights for people with disabilities.
His mantra was, “Don’t mourn, organize.” While many are mourning his passing, the best way to salute Bob is indeed to organize. Setbacks can be discouraging. Often, we make some strides only to see the pendulum turn, but mourning losses needs to be replaced with learning from them and celebrating every small win.
Bob never gave up and neither can we. Onward!
To learn more about Bob’s incredible work, Check out these additional articles:
NPR Article about Bob Kafka KUT Article about Bob Kafka