01/20/2026
The Alliance Center for Independence mourns the passing of Bob Kafka, a national leader and advocate in the disability rights movement.
Bob was a longtime organizer with ADAPT, serving as co-lead of ADAPT Texas, and the founder of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)’s REV UP Campaign (Register, Educate, Vote, Use Your Power), which mobilizes people with disabilities to participate fully in the electoral process.
In a statement honoring his life, AAPD wrote that “Bob was driven by the conviction that disabled people deserve freedom, choice, dignity, and power. His ideals were not just dreams; they were a mandate, a directive that guided how he lived his life. He carried his conviction with a steady, patient, laid-back confidence. He believed there was always work to be done, but he also believed in making time for banter and jokes, time to educate and mentor people new to the movement.” You can read AAPD’s full tribute on their website.
Bob was not only an influential national advocate, he was a mentor and friend to many of us at ACI. Over the years, we partnered with him at rallies and actions, including the 2016 protest of Professor Peter Singer in Princeton. Bob played a key role in helping ACI establish the New Jersey Chapter of REV UP, and he personally trained ACI advocates during an intensive ADAPT training in Texas. As recently as this past August, Bob welcomed Luke Koppisch onto his Barrier Free Futures podcast to discuss the gubernatorial election and REV UP NJ.
Bob Kafka’s lifelong commitment to justice, dignity, and power for people with disabilities leaves an enduring legacy. ACI calls on New Jersey’s disability community to honor his memory by continuing the work he championed: organizing, advocating, and pushing forward with the same spirit of dynamism and persistence that defined his life.
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Image source: AAPD
