U3 redefines the “cans and cannots” of ageing

A talk on ageism at the University of the Third Age conference set out to redefine the perceptions of older people can and cannot do.

In a bid to combat ageism, language isn’t the only thing which needs to be in the spotlight with attitudes a main contributor, according to speaker Graham Houghton, who said he believed ageism was more complicated than language.

“The Government’s push is to change the language, now that’s part of the exercise, but I think it’s only part,” he said.

“...ageism emphasises the can’t dos to an age group, mainly the retireds and the older people.

“It’s the can’t dos — ‘you can’t do this, you can’t do that, you can’t do it because you’re too old, you won’t understand’.

“You’ve all heard it, it goes everywhere but it’s an attitude, it’s not simply language.”