Remembering Dave Hingsburger, December 21, 1952 – July 18, 2021

ANCOR mourns the loss of Dave Hingsburger. Below we share the statement released by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals on his life and passing.

It is with deep sadness to share with the disability community that our friend and colleague Dave Hingsburger suddenly passed away on July 18th in Toronto, Ontario. All of us at the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals join the countless advocates in the disability rights community in mourning the loss of this iconic figure and thought leader.

For decades, as a clinician, trainer and author Dave has been an unrelenting and tireless advocate for the rights and freedom for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A prolific writer, Dave was an early “blogger’ where he mused daily about diversity, disability and difference with equal doses of eloquence, humour and provocation. Over the years, he also authored several books that have been used by generations of disability professionals across the world to help them understand issues of humanity; Behaviour Self: Using Behavioural Concepts to Understand and Work with People with Developmental Disabilities; Just Say Know!: Understanding and Reducing the Risk of Sexual Victimization; and a real nice but: articles that inspire, inform and infuriate –  to name a few very important contributions to the field of disability.

Dave was the founder and editor of the International Journal for Direct Support Professionals, a set of easy to-read, practical articles for direct support professionals on a variety of topics that are pertinent to their role in supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Earning a loyal and growing following of readers across the globe, every year Dave and his colleagues published twelve issues of the journal in English, French and Spanish. He also became a highly skilled interviewer with his monthly “Let’s Talk with Dave” webinar series in partnership with NADSP, where he interviewed the author of that month’s publication and dove deeper into the topic in a talk show format where once again, he showed his commitment, intellect and incredible wit.

We also want to extend our love and support to Dave’s, best friend, life partner and husband of 52 years, Joe Jobes. It is impossible to reflect on Dave’s thousands of trainings, lectures, and keynote presentations at conferences across the world without thinking of his biggest fan and supporter, Joe, who could be seen at the back of the room laughing harder at Dave’s jokes than anyone in the building.

While we cannot provide any further information about services at this time, the NADSP will be sharing much more information in the coming days and we are committed to honoring Dave’s spirit and keeping his message moving forward. We grieve with all of you who knew Dave, loved Dave, learned from Dave, laughed with Dave and were touched by Dave’s humanity and his unique ability to talk about it.

The Staff and Board of Directors
The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, Inc.