From AAPD – American Association of People with Disabilities

Join us on Tuesday, March 24 from 1PM – 3 PM ET. ASL and CART are provided. Register for the REV Up national call to deepen your knowledge, build solidarity, and strengthen our collective power at the intersection of disability voting rights and immigrant justice.

This national training will educate REV UP organizers on: 

• Immigrant voter rights 
• How the REV UP movement can build deeper cross-movement solidarity with immigrant justice efforts
• Best practices to safely engage and register immigrant voters with disabilities in their communities
• What it means to safely participate in this work as an immigrant organizer, including practical considerations and risk awareness

Learn from our guest speakers:

• Angelica Razo, National Director of Campaigns & Programs at Mi Familia en Acción
  Angelica ‘Angie’ Razo is the National Director of Campaigns and Programs for Mi Familia Vota. She is the proud daughter of immigrants from Mexico and was raised in a mixed-status household.  Angelica has always been passionate about contributing to advocacy and engagement efforts that lead to sustainable and equitable solutions for her community. She is most interested in issues regarding access to democracy, gender equity, and climate justice. 
  Angelica joined Mi Familia Vota in 2017. Previous to her current role, she served as the Texas State Director where she managed the state’s operations to increase political representation and power for the Latino community through electoral, advocacy, and community organizing strategies. Her strong belief in community empowerment motivates her to engage others so they can find their own unique civic role while participating in collective action. 
• Jesús Ramón Villalba Gastélum, Senior Statewide Organizer, Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) at the CA Immigrant Policy Center
  Jesús Ramón is a proud immigrant from the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa in México. A member of the undocumented community, he began organizing under the first Trump Administration while in High School, worried about his family’s safety. Jesús Ramón’s first experience with electoral work was in 2019, calling voters as part of CHIRLA and CHIRLA Action Fund’s involvement in promoting Measure EE in that year’s Special Elections.

You’re Invited!

All who are interested in empowering the disability vote and making sure voting is accessible across MA are welcome to join our 2026 REV UP MA coalition meetings! Sign up for REV UP MA Emails, and get the information so you can attend.

If you have any access needs, please let us know on the Zoom registration form.

You may also contact Brianna:

• email at bzimmerman@dlc-ma.org or
• phone: (617) 315-4593. 

Register for upcoming meetings

2026 October 15 Meeting

Thursday, October 15th at 11 AM

2026 September 24 Meeting

Thursday, September 24th at 1 PM

2026 August 20 Meeting

Agenda:

• Plans for Disability Voting Rights Week (September 14 – 18)
• Voter Registration Drives: Updates from Members; Sign Up to Hold a Registration Drive 
• Polling Place Accessibility Surveys: Sign Up to Survey Polling Places
• Debrief on Accessible Voting Equipment Fairs 

2026 July 23 Meeting

Agenda:

• Brief Introductions (if new members)
• How to Register Voters & Helpful Tips
• Discussion: What kinds of support will coalition members need to hold voter registration events?
• Upcoming Voter Registration Opportunities 
• Action Items 

2026 MA Coalition Meetings

• June 18 Slides (pptx) and June 18 Slides (pdf). In addition to sharing upcoming events, we learned about efforts to replace the aging AutoMark machines and opportunities for doing your own voter registration drives.

2026 Webinar

2026 REV Up MA Webinar May 14: Topics included Voter Registration, Accessible Remote Voting at Home and In Facilities, Accessible In-Person Voting and the need for volunteers to Survey Polling Sites at this fall’s elections.

The recording and webinar materials are now available from the May 14 event. Some of the topics covered included Voter Registration, Accessible Remote Voting at Home and In Facilities, and Accessible In-Person Voting.  They also discussed the need for volunteers to do the upcoming Polling Site Surveys at this falls elections.

Scroll down for statements from AAPD and NCIL.

Don’t Mourn, Organize!

From the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD):

Dear Community, 

On Friday, December 26, 2025, our movement lost a powerful leader, and many of us lost a dear colleague and friend. Bob Kafka, a longtime organizer with the disability civil rights protest group, ADAPT, the founder of AAPD’s REV UP campaign, and a co-lead of REV UP Texas, passed away at his home in Austin, Texas.

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.

Bob was a unique and dynamic leader in that he didn’t play just one role in the disability rights movement – he played them all. He understood the value of different tactics and the power of community.

He put his body on the line for justice –  Bob was arrested over 30 times as part of his many fights to pass landmark pieces of legislation and to protect and establish critical programs. The legislative causes for which he put his body on the line were often eventually successful, resulting in lifts on buses and increased funding and incentives for home-and community-based services (HCBS). 

Bob’s unruly white curls (usually tucked beneath a hat) and wild beard can be spotted in the photos of the crowds at many pivotal disability protests that helped propel public awareness and progress on key issues. He could lead a chant and rally a crowd – “Our homes, not nursing homes!” – and then moments later lower his voice, lean back in his manual wheelchair and, with patience and tact, have a diplomatic debate with elected officials and political appointees over the nuances of federal funding, state-led programs, and managed care.

Bob attended his first ADAPT training in 1984 and remained a student of advocacy until the end of his life. He interviewed hundreds of disabled leaders on his KSFR 101.1 Santa Fe radio show, Barrier Free Futures. While many of his guests tried to turn the script and interview the movement giant on the other side of the mic, Bob was a curious and thoughtful host. He knew that listening was an important part of leading.

“Bob was brilliant. There was no disability policy issue I couldn’t ask him about. Part of that was that he read a lot, but part of it was he made it a point to get to know people, ask them questions, and listen to them,” said Lydia Nuñez Landry, a leader of REV UP Texas, who advocated alongside Bob. 

No task was below Bob, and no win was too small. He recognized equal and necessary value in freeing one person from a nursing home and in working toward systemic change. He enjoyed meeting with legislators as much as he enjoyed organizing community parties all around Texas for Disability Voting Rights Week.

“Bob hardly ever talked about himself, in a lot of ways he was really selfless. The last action we went to together, his chair was falling apart, held together with tape and zip ties. The money he received was all going toward the cause. That’s something I really respected and admired,” Nuñez Landry shared.

Bob recognized the importance of honoring and growing disabled people’s civic power, and fostered this passion by founding REV UP Texas. Ten years ago, we were honored when Bob asked AAPD to take the movement he started to the national level by establishing and managing disability vote coalitions in many more states. REV UP is an acronym, of course, but also a call to action: Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power! It is national in scope, recognizing that broad change is needed to move the needle, but it is driven by local, grassroots advocacy, with coalitions in over 20 states and engagement across 48 states.  

Bob understood that voting is a singular, individual action that connects people to larger movements. For this reason, REV UP recognizes that every person has a role to play in creating change and that all disabled people have immense power.  It asserts that we belong in political conversations and we deserve to be seen, heard, and respected. Most importantly, REV UP recognizes that the disability vote is formidable with the power to shape and change the course of our nation’s history with 40.2 million disabled voters in the U.S. and over 70 million when you count caregivers and family members. 

Despite having witnessed both tremendous policy gains and heartbreaking setbacks over his lifetime in activism, Bob was relentless in his belief in a better future and putting in the work to get us there. 

“To be an organizer, you have to believe that change is possible, but you also have to be pragmatic and realistic. You have to be specific about what policy changes you want, and Bob was great at that,” Nuñez Landry said. “I never saw him despair or give up. He always would tell me when I would get down, in his Brooklyn accent, ‘You can’t motivate people with despair and hopelessness, Lydia. You have to make them believe change is possible and can be done.'”

Bob was famous for ending every email and phone call with his relentless refrain for justice, “Don’t mourn, organize.” Every setback in the long arc to justice, every loss of a disability hero and community member, is part of our story.

In the spirit of Bob’s mantra, we will not dwell in our grief but use it to fuel our commitment to disability organizing, dignity, and power. You can stay engaged with REV UP by joining our listserv or attending state and national calls. If you’re interested in starting a coalition or getting further engaged, email revup@aapd.com.

Thank you, Bob. We won’t let you down. 

NCIL Statement on the Passing of Bob Kafka

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) mourns the passing of Bob Kafka, a powerful advocate and movement leader whose life and work helped shape the fight for independent living, disability justice, and community inclusion. 

Bob believed deeply that disabled people belong in their homes, their communities, and at decision-making tables. His advocacy was grounded in action, persistence, and a clear understanding that rights are never simply granted; they are demanded, defended, and protected over time. His work reflected the core values of the Independent Living movement: dignity, access, self-determination, and collective power. 

Bob’s leadership was widely recognized, including his receipt of NCIL’s Max Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the movement’s highest honors. He joins a distinguished group of recipients who have fundamentally shaped disability rights, including Lex Frieden, Stephanie Thomas, and the ADAPT community. This recognition was not symbolic, it reflected Bob’s real and lasting impact on policy, people, and the direction of our movement. 

Beyond titles or awards, Bob was someone who showed up. He spoke plainly, pushed hard when it mattered, and stayed engaged even when the work was uncomfortable or exhausting. Our movement is stronger because of leaders like Bob who refused to settle for partial inclusion or temporary wins. 

As NCIL Executive Director Theo W. Braddy shared:  

“With the recent loss of other prominent disabled leaders and voices in our movement, Bob’s passing leaves another giant void, one felt deeply not only within the disability community, but across society as a whole. Leaders like Bob remind us how much progress has been driven by disabled leaders who refused to be silent and who demanded better, not just for themselves, but for generations to come. His absence will be felt, and his legacy will continue to guide us“.

We extend our deepest condolences to Bob’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many advocates who learned from him, worked beside him, and were inspired by his leadership. NCIL honors Bob Kafka’s legacy and recommits itself to carrying forward the work he believed in so fiercely. His voice will be missed. His impact will not be forgotten.

2026 promises to be a very important year. Please help us determine how we can affect disability voting and accessibility.

Sign Up NOW to Join REV UP MA’s End of Year Meeting on Thursday, 12/4 at 1:30!

Registration is required. CART and ASL will be provided.

At this meeting, we will be reflecting on the last year of voting advocacy work, sharing some recent advocacy updates, and developing some goals for our year ahead. Check out the agenda (below) for more details.  

REV UP MA End-of-Year Meeting Agenda

Thursday, December 4^th 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM via Zoom

1. Getting started/Introductions: 5-10 minutes
2. Brief advocacy updates: 5-10 minutes
3. Reflecting on REV UP MA’s year: 5-10 minutes
4. Group discussion: Wish-List and Goals for the year ahead : 30-40 minutes
   • Brainstorm potential goals/areas to work on for 2026
   • Member involvement: How do you imagine you/your organization contributing to REV UP MA’s goals?
   • Wrapping up/Looking Ahead to 2026: Please share any ideas to make future meetings helpful/engaging! We will send information about future meetings to the REV UP MA email list.

Please reach out to Brianna Zimmerman at bzimmerman@dlc-ma.org or 617-315-4593 with any questions.

Wondering about preliminary elections? September has several preliminary elections across MA. DLC ED, Barbara I’talien and DLC Voting Advocate, Brianna Zimmerman released Voting Rights – 2025 Preliminary Elections, a podcast to demystify what a preliminary election is, how to register and vote, and your disability rights. If you would prefer to read the information, there a transcript available to download.