Age Without Limits Day is a day for everyone to come together and take action to end ageism – as individuals, with friends and family, in our communities and in our workplaces. As part of this year’s day of action, our Age Friendly Network development officer, Helen Hunter, has taken a deep dive into the campaign, exploring why it’s so important to challenge negative stereotypes.

Today is Age Without Limits Day and it’s a campaign we are passionate about, here at the North Yorkshire Age Friendly Network. We want to tackle ageism – a prejudice that is so often hidden in plain sight – and celebrate later life, with all that it has to offer.

Did you know that 60% of people aged over 50 have experienced ageism? It’s all around us and is often accepted as normal by those of us that are older.

Ageism is often dismissed as harmless

We see and hear casual ageism every day in the media, at work, in cafes, on social media and in family conversations.  It’s often dismissed as harmless, but research shows that ageist comments and beliefs can be really damaging for us as individuals and for wider society.

Later life is often portrayed as a time of frailty and decline which can lead people to limit their own behaviour and opportunities, describing themselves in negative ways such as ‘past it’ or ‘over the hill’.  Even comments used with good intentions, ‘sweet old lady’ and ‘still going strong’ subtly reinforce negative stereotypes.

A day to reclaim pride in ageing

We believe in celebrating the diverse value and contributions we all make throughout our lives and although getting older can have its challenges, being treated negatively because of our age should not be one of them.  Age Without Limits Day offers an opportunity to reclaim pride in ageing and celebrate the joys of later life.

If you’d like to take part in the campaign, there are things we can all do in our communities. Notice the language used, assumptions made and the extent to which events, parks, gyms, transport and facilities are accessible and welcoming to people of all ages.

Then, challenge examples of ageism, wherever you see them. Let’s get the conversation started to dispel myths and encourage people of all ages to share, learn and enjoy time together.