Oct. 9 is Ageism Awareness Day
Ageism Awareness Day is an opportunity to draw attention to the impact of ageism in our society and work together to build age-inclusive communities.
Ageism refers to stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel), and discrimination (how we act) toward others or ourselves based on age. It negatively impacts our health and well-being, our financial security, and the economy. It impacts us at every age.
The good news is that we can do something about it together on Ageism Awareness Day.
Age inclusion is the way forward.
How we view aging impacts where we as a society invest and how we make policy—and we need a shared, realistic view of aging to create solutions that serve us all. We have challenges to tackle and bias against a growing segment of our society—and ourselves, as we age—gets in the way. It’s time to expand our understanding of aging and bring everyone into the tent so we can work together.
Age-inclusion is crucial. Limited, unrealistic views of aging and the “us vs. them” mentality hinder our ability to collaborate and build solutions. This Ageism Awareness Day, help spread the word that aging is a rich and varied experience, but one that unites us, and offers an opportunity to build a society that works for us all—once we get past ageism.
Here are our top priorities for Ageism Awareness Day:
- Raise awareness about ageism’s impact and the importance of age-inclusion
- Encourage and promote member efforts to raise awareness and collaborate
- Flood the internet and media with a realistic picture of aging and tools for change
See below for resources and toolkits for the 2025 campaign.
Resources
Ageism Fact Sheet
Dig deeper into ageism and share with your networks: Ageism Fact Sheet
Social Media Toolkit
Find everything you need here to communicate effectively, including content, hashtags and visuals: Social Media Toolkit
Age-Friendly Communication Guide
Press Release
Contacting the press? You don’t have to start from scratch. Start with our template: Press Release (direct download document)
Sample Proclamation
Reaching out to your government representatives? Read this introduction and here is a sample proclamation (direct download document) for you to tailor for your community.
Breaking Barriers Between Age Groups
Share and use these tips on how to share power and collaborate across age groups: Breaking Barriers Between Age Groups
100 Days of School Alternative Curriculum
Are you an educator? Check out our resources on how to talk about age including a teacher’s toolkit and resources like books & films: 100 Days of School Alternative Curriculum
What You Can Do
- Spread awareness of Ageism Awareness Day to your contacts and social media networks. Use our Social Media Toolkit for inspiration and sample posts.
- Share facts about ageism and follow ASA so you can like & re-post.
- Share stories about what the aging experience is really like. What do people get wrong about being your age? What do you wish people would know about aging from your experience or the work you do? Share your story—on social media, in your newsletter, and in your community.
- Reach out to local media and government officials using our press release template (direct download document) and sample proclamation (direct download document).
- Be a role model for aging by using our communication guide. Share how being age-inclusive benefits us individually and as a community.
- Show your organization’s commitment to ending ageism. Check out our partner tools and reach out to agepositive@asaging.org with questions.
- Looking for other ideas?
- Lead a discussion group about how to break barriers between age groups.
- Volunteer to speak to local organizations about ageism.
- Write a letter to the editor or a blog for your community organization.
- Contact us for ideas ways to partner at agepositive@asaging.org
- Follow ASA for inspiration!
Facebook: facebook.com/asaging
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/american-society-on-aging
Instagram: instagram.com/asaging
Ageism Awareness Day Events
Keys to Age-Inclusion: Collaboration & Belonging
Thursday, October 9, 2025
12–1 PM PT / 3–4 PM ET
Free
Join us on Ageism Awareness Day for a digital event bringing together thought leaders from across sectors for a practical discussion on advancing age-inclusion through collaboration and belonging. Learn strategies to address ageism, discover resources for building inclusive systems, and explore what’s next for the age-friendly movement.
Missed this event? Watch a recording of the Challenging Ableism in Ageism Work Learning Lab
As we work to dismantle ageism, are we unintentionally reinforcing ableism? In this interactive Learning Lab, we explore how the aging services field often promotes an ideal of “healthy,” “active,” and “independent” aging—narratives that can marginalize older adults who have disabilities and reinforce ableist norms. In this video, we examine the complex intersection of ageism and ableism, uncover the ways these biases show up in policies, language, media, and even well-meaning campaigns, and reflect on how to shift our advocacy to be more inclusive of all older adults—especially those living with disabilities.
Tell us how you are supporting Ageism Awareness Day!
We’ve created a form where you can tell us what you are doing (or let us know after the fact) so we can track our collective effort!
Facts About Ageism
These materials have been produced in collaboration with ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council.
ASA’s Ageism & Culture Advisory Council focuses on ageism awareness initiatives, which is one of ASA’s strategic priorities. This volunteer-led organization has developed these tools to combat ageism in our communities and reframe how we talk about aging and older people in a society where ageism is pervasive.
We rely on input and support from all ASA members! Please email agepositive@asaging.org with any questions.