Some people leave footprints. Joe Bravo left a legacy.
When Joe was just 12 years old, his life changed in an instant. One minute he was riding his bike on the streets of New York. The next, he was laying on the ground after being shot in the spine by someone with a rifle. As a result of this tragic accident, Joe became a paraplegic. A moment like that could have broken someone’s spirit. But not Joe. He didn’t just survive it – he bult an extraordinary life.
After his injury, Joe spent 7 months in rehab at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, NY. During this time, his parents moved to the Bronx to provide a wheelchair accessible home for Joe to come home to. He finished elementary school in a special education class. Joe then attended Theodore Roosevelt High School – an accessible (it had an elevator) high school in the Bronx.
When he was 16, his life was about to change again in a most significant way. Joe’s sister, Yvette, knew he was sports-minded and enjoyed watching sports, so when she came across an ad in the newspaper saying they were recruiting players for a wheelchair basketball team, she cut it out and showed it to Joe. Joe went to the practice and got hooked. There began his passion for wheelchair basketball that would last for 45 years. It was also where he was exposed to athletes with disabilities who were married, had children, worked, traveled, and led independent lifestyles. This is when he decided that his career would involve facilitating independence for people with disabilities.
After high school, Joe enrolled at Long Island University’s (LIU) Brooklyn campus. While in college, he began reading about the emerging Disability Rights movement and renowned Disability Rights leader, Judy Heumann, who had gone through his college and was in the midst of suing the Board of Education in New York City because she wasn’t allowed to teach due to her disability. Although he was a bit younger than the Disability Rights advocates at that time, Joe became involved with the fight for Disability Rights. This involvement was the beginning of what would become his lifelong commitment to the Disability Rights movement. It was also the beginning of lifelong friendships with fellow advocates, including Judy Heumann and Pat Figueroa.
In his senior year at LIU, Joe met some veterans with disabilities who introduced him to the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA). In late 1978, 6 months after graduating, he got his first job at EPVA as an Advocate, where he advised individuals about their rights to stay/live in their communities. In 1979, he married the love of his life and partner, Nadine. They made Orange County in the Lower Hudson Valley their home.
In 1980, Joe got a call that would cement his path for the next 40 years. Pat Figueroa contacted Joe and told him Independent Living Centers were being developed in New York State and he might be interested in applying. In 1981, when federal monies established 6 Independent Living Centers in New York State, the Westchester Independent Living Center (WILC) was one of the 6 and Joe was its Executive Director.
When WILC first opened its doors, the fledgling organization had the one federal grant for $100,000 and 3 employees. WILC and Joe provided Peer Counseling and other core IL services in Westchester County. Throughout the years, under Joe’s leadership and direction, WILC diversified its funding and expanded its Programs to meet the needs of WILC’s consumers in our evolving society – always fulfilling WILC’s mission of supporting self-determination and promoting full community inclusion for people with disabilities. Specialized Programs now include WILC’s Minority Outreach Program, Mental Health Advocacy, Educational Advocacy, Peer Integration Services, Lower Hudson Valley Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Regional Resource Development Center (RRDC), Lower Hudson Valley Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Waiver RRDC, New York City Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) RRDC, New York City Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Waiver RRDC, NY Connects, Open Doors Transition Center, Olmstead Housing Program, Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC) Program, Post-Rehabilitation Transition Program at Burke Rehabilitation Center and Phelps Hospital, Domestic Violence Prevention, Ready Set Work, and Re-Entry Programming. Six (6) of these specialized programs have as their catchment area 7 counties of the Lower Hudson Valley Region – Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, Dutchess, and Ulster. Two (2) of the specialized programs have as their catchment area all 5 boroughs of New York City – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island.
In 2002, WILC established a satellite office, Putnam Independent Living Services (PILS) to facilitate WILC in servicing the northern part of WILC’s extended Lower Hudson Valley catchment area. In 2010, WILC established an Outreach office in the heart of downtown Yonkers at VIVE Pathways to Success – an intergeneration public school which specializes in providing services for Yonkers’ extensive minority community. WILC now has 15 grants totaling $6,462,660. WILC’s Programs and Services are funded by a combination of federal (ACL), state (NYS Education Department, NYS Department of Health, NYS Office for the Aging), and county (Westchester County) grants; foundation monies; and fee-for-services contracts.
During his years at WILC, Joe was a Board Member of NYSILC – New York State Independent Living Council, past Chair of NYSILC, and past Chair of AILCNY – the Association of Independent Living Centers in New York. Joe was one of the many Disability Rights proponents who were present in Washington, D.C. when President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990. He was a Peer IL Consultant for RSA (Rehabilitation Services Administration) when other centers needed assistance and/or reorganization. And, he was responsible for the establishment of 2 grassroots consumer organizations – the Rockland Independent Living Center and the Westchester Consumer Empowerment Center (for mental health recipients).
Under Joe’s mentorship, many of WILC’s employees took what they learned at WILC and went on to have successful careers in state and county government, other not for profit agencies, and in the private sector. A few employees and one WILC Board Member went on to become Executive Directors of other Independent Living Centers. Over 4 decades, Joe inspired and guided countless people and helped shape the strength and continuity of the Disability Rights movement.
Throughout his years as WILC’s Executive Director, Joe maintained his involvement with wheelchair sports – particularly wheelchair basketball. Joe would say that the same aggressiveness, the same ‘I can do this’ attitude he had while ‘banging chairs with people bigger and faster’ than he was on the basketball court, translated to his ‘we can do this, we can go for this’ attitude at work. Joe played on numerous wheelchair basketball teams, making a name for himself as a “playmaker”. In 1988 he was a member of the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Team. His longest association was with the NY Rollin’ KNICKS – a National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Division 1 team, which is co-sponsored by the New York KNICKS and WILC – where he began as a player and in later years became a Coach. In 2014, under Coach Bravo and Coach Fleming’s direction, the Rollin’ KNICKS won their first NWBA Wheelchair Basketball National Championship. Joe also played wheelchair tennis, participated in wheelchair road racing, enjoyed swimming, jet skied, and proudly and successfully tandem skydived – just once.
From the moment of his birth, through all of his 71 years, Joe had the unconditional love and support of his very large family, and he loved and supported each and every one of them in return. After his accident, Joe’s parents, Jose and Alicia, instinctively supported his need and desire to be independent. He always credited them with instilling within him the belief that he could achieve whatever he set his mind to. He was proud of the adults that he and his sister, Yvette, became; her husband, Robert; their son – his nephew, Alejandro; his beloved goddaughter, MariaElena; her husband, Hector; his cousins Bill, Sam, Sadie, Nelson, and Dave and all their children and grandchildren. Some of his fondest memories were of taking his nephew to Yankee games, laughing as he gave his young cousins rides on his lap, and spending time at the beach in Puerto Rico. Joe’s loyalty to his family was rivalled only by his loyalty to his friends. Whether the friends were from his early days in the Bronx, from the realm of wheelchair sports, from work, from the community – he stayed in touch through emails, phone calls, texts, and Facebook – whether it was just to say “Hi, how are you?”, discuss the scores from last night’s game, or engage in a spirited political discussion.
When Joe retired from WILC on December 31st, 2020, he and Nadine were in the process of purchasing a home in Delaware. Once settled in Delaware, he and Nadine quickly became part of their new community. Joe joined the local gym and became known by fellow residents as he pushed around the neighborhood. He became a fixture at the pool hall as he honed his skills and shots – eventually joining a team and winning a couple of 8 Ball Tournaments. Joe went pushing with his friend, Pete, at state and national parks around Delaware and up and down the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach. As much as he relished the physical activity, time with Pete, and the new friends he was making, he still wanted to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.
He applied to become a Board Member of the Architectural Accessibility Board (AAB) of the State of Delaware. The AAB is responsible for ensuring that state-owned, state-leased, and state-financed facilities are accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Joe recognized the need for architectural barrier removal and how important it was in his independence and ability to fully participate in society. In his application, he highlighted his experience surveying buildings for compliance with the ADA and ANSI Standards and making recommendations, when appropriate, for the removal of barriers. His application was accepted and Joe was appointed by the Governor. He became an official AAB Board Member in July of 2023. After that, he participated in monthly meetings with the other 8 Board Members to review construction projects, ensure compliance with the Architectural Accessibility Act, and investigate accessibility complaints.
But, Joe was still not done giving back. He was approached by ACL (the Administration for Community Living and the funding source for all federally funded ILCs) about becoming a Peer Reviewer. His 40 years of experience running a highly successful ILC was what they were looking for. There are now 350 ILCs in the U.S. To continue receiving CIL program funding, Centers must demonstrate compliance with specific standards. When centers exhibit difficulty in meeting the standards, they need assistance to get back on track. Joe was capable of providing said assistance. He debated getting involved, but finally agreed and was soon assigned centers from various parts of the country with various issues. Ultimately, he enjoyed consulting and helping to make a difference for these centers.
Joe was described by some as invincible – he was a larger-than-life character. He was a leader, mentor, advocate, athlete, and force to be reckoned with. He was a loyal and trusted friend, sports enthusiast, Yankees fan, patriot, skilled debater, and conservative. At his core, he was a loving and supportive son, husband, brother, godfather, uncle, brother-in-law, and cousin.
Joe was his own man in every way. Clear-eyed, no nonsense, fun and irreverent. He leaves behind a sound, strong Center that will continue to build on the foundation he put in place. Joe’s legacy will live on in the Disability Rights and Independent Living advocates he inspired throughout the years. Youth with disabilities will be provided an opportunity to participate in sports thanks to a fund WILC is developing in Joe’s name.
Joe’s influence and impact will resound for years to come – a life well lived indeed!
In honor of Joe’s lifelong dedication to the mission of independent living, we invite those who feel moved to support the work he helped build.
If you would like to honor his legacy, please consider making a donation to support the programs and services that remain a lifeline for so many individuals and families in our community.
