Bob Kafka, a celebrated advocate for disability rights, passed away on Friday at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 79. For decades, Kafka worked tirelessly with ADAPT – the American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today – an organization dedicated to transforming policies and public attitudes toward people with disabilities.
His close friend and ADAPT co-founder, Mark Johnson, confirmed his death and reflected on Kafka’s lifelong mission. Johnson told NPR that Kafka’s activism went beyond legislation; it was equally about changing individual lives. Whether he was helping someone tie their shoes, raising funds through a community run, or pressing federal officials for reform, Kafka approached every task with humility and determination.
Born in New York City, Kafka later made Texas his home. He served in the U.S. Army and fought in the Vietnam War before a car accident in 1973 left him paralyzed. From then on, he and his wife, Stephanie Thomas, dedicated themselves to ensuring dignity, independence, and support for people with disabilities. At countless demonstrations for disability rights, Kafka became a familiar figure – recognizable by his halo of white curls and his wiry beard, and by the fierce compassion that drove him.
Johnson remembered him as a man uninterested in glory, someone who did what was necessary without seeking recognition. He recalled calling Thomas after Kafka’s passing, only for her first concern to be his own feelings. That small moment, he said, captured the generosity that defined the community Kafka built.
Describing Kafka as both a “policy wonk” and a grassroots organizer, Johnson highlighted the rare combination of intellect and empathy that guided his friend’s work. Kafka was equally at home navigating the complexities of government bureaucracy as he was rallying people on the streets. Johnson hopes that history will remember him not just for the change he demanded, but for the shift in mindset he inspired.
“When most people hear the word ‘disability,’ they associate it with limitation,” Johnson said. “Bob helped others see it differently. He embodied the idea that embracing your full identity is powerful and liberating – something he lived by for nearly fifty years.”
