A unique initiative in Toronto is working at battling ageist thinking. It’s a “human library” program, in which guests attending the sessions can “check out” older adults for a half-hour conversation. Called “Unjudge Aging” the initiative is using storytelling to shed light on aging and being older and debunking ageism in the process. It gives these older adults taking part a chance to share who they are and where they came from.
The event took place earlier this month at Toronto Public Library location, Northern District Library. As reported by ctvnews.ca. The initiative’s goal is to get a handle on ageism by opening up conversations with older adults rather than dismissing this demographic. One of the researchers behind the initiative, Lynn McDonald, shared with ctvnews.ca that the hope is that this will deepen connections and bridge gaps that alienate and isolate an aging community. She adds that the concept of a “human library” has been used with marginalized communities. While it has been used by corporations to address discrimination, the concept has not been applied to battling ageism.
For more about McDonald’s research on ageism and how the “human library” for “UnJudge Aging” was pulled together, check out the full ctvnews.ca article here.
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