Ageism Awareness Day

From the American Society on Aging (ASA) as they join countless others around the globe to celebrate Ageism Awareness Day on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.

Modeled after the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons (Oct. 1), Ageism Awareness Day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in our society.

According to the World Health Organization, there are three vehicles through which we can reduce or eliminate ageism. They are:

• Policy and Law
• Educational Activities
• Intergenerational Interventions

Combating ageism is one of ASA’s strategic priorities. That is why ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council, which is leading initiatives in this area, relies upon member input to reframe how we talk about aging and older people in a society where ageism is pervasive. To that end, Advisory Council leaders Becky Morgan, Barbara Meltzer, Barbara Croyle and Helen Dennis have developed a variety of tools for our members to use as we combat ageism in our communities on Ageism Awareness Day.

These include*:

• A template for a press release to complete and share with local media.
• A list of facts about ageism to use when promoting Ageism Awareness Day.
• An Opinion piece to customize or share as is with local media outlets.
• A social media badge to make celebrating Ageism Awareness Day easy.
• A list of Call-to-Action items.

This is an exciting member-led initiative, and we hope you will help drive its success as we work together to combat ageism across the globe.