Adolf Ratzka has left us

Sailing in the middle of the endlessly beautiful summer in the Stockholm archipelago, I get the information that one of the great pioneers in the field of disability in Sweden has left us far too early. Adolf Ratzka was the driving force behind the introduction of personal assistance in Sweden, a rights reform that has been a game changer to many people with disabilities.

The situation for people with disabilities in Sweden would not be where we are today if Adolf had not used his boundless energy, impressive intelligence, deep humanity and fantastic powers of persuasion to talk sense to policy makers, civil servants and everyone else. There is still much to do, but anyone who has heard Adolf talk about the right to independence, empowerment and a dignified life will not forget it.

I had the privilege of working with Adolf in the Independent Living Institute many years ago, including on the Taxi for All project, and for that period I am immensely grateful. We kept in touch more sporadically after I left the organisation, but I would never have been able to support my sister in the way I did in her final years if it hadn’t been for all the knowledge Adolf shared with me.

Beyond being an inspirer, innovator and provocateur in the field of disability, I remember Adolf most for his subtle humour and high integrity. He did an enormous amount of good for the world, often by quite simply refusing to back down. He also saw the world very much like an artist – I have bamboo in my garden, just like Adolf, because it symbolises strength through resilience.

Adolf had a unique ability to gather exciting personalities around him and he always saw what each individual could bring to the table. He was impatient, sometimes impossible to please, but if anyone ever had a heart of gold, it was Adolf.

Three lines from Adolf’s own hand sum up his programme statement better than anything else:

Adolf – you leave a big void behind.