Equality Bill must prohibit ageism

Published on Saturday 7 June 2008 19:49

AS T&G Retired Members Association Vice President and Chairman of the National Pensioners' Convention (NPC) Scotland, I reported at a recent Executive meeting that our long hard fight with this Government for ageism legislation is receiving support with Help the Aged challenging the Government to listen to public opinion and put ageism on an equal footing with racism and sexism.

We support the Help the Aged campaign, calling for the forthcoming Equality Bill to include proposals for legislation against age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services – including health and social care services.

Despite decades of talk about equal opportunities and anti-discrimination, ageism remains rife throughout society. Whether it's in the provision of health care services, the availability of insurance products or the portrayal of pensioners on television – older people continue to be treated like second-class citizens.

Why, for example, are those aged over 70 excluded from jury service? Why do health professionals continue to tell their older patients that 'it's just their age' when they have a medical complaint, and why is the mistreatment of vulnerable older people in care homes taken less seriously by society than the abuse of children?

With one in four pensioners living below the poverty line and lacking any real economic clout, is it any wonder that many feel no one takes you seriously once you've collected your bus pass?

The Government finalised its consultation last September on whether or not anti-discrimination legislation should be introduced when it comes to the provision of goods and services.

But despite being given a catalogue of examples of ageism, ministers say they are not yet convinced of the need to legislate to make harmful age discrimination outside the workplace illegal.

Until the law does make it illegal to discriminate against older people they will continue to be ignored, patronised and denied the dignity and equality that should be seen as their right.

George Henderson, NPC chairman, Edinburgh