2012 European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations

Every year the European Commission choses a different topic to promote. 2012 is the Year for Active Ageing. This means that the European Commission wants to show countries in Europe how to help their older citizens be independent and active in society.

“Europe is in front of a demographic challenge: By 2017, there will be fewer young people working than there will be pensioners and the number of people above the age of 65 is growing steadily”.

Following the European Year of Volunteering in 2011, 2012 is the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. Nowadays, people in Europe live longer than ever before and they must have the opportunity to lead an independent life and retain their active role in society as well as in the labour market.

The 2012 European Year is aiming at raising awareness and revealing good practices of Active Ageing. It is also focused on encouraging decision-makers to reinforce active ageing by creating more opportunities for older people to continue working and stay healthy and active in the community contributing, for instance, through volunteering work.

The opening conference

Holding the presidency of the Council of the EU in the first six months of 2012, in a few days Denmark will open the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations with a conference. The conference will take place in Copenhagen on 18-19 January. It will tackle the options that active ageing and solidarity between generations provide for the individual and for society. During its 2 days, good examples of how various European countries work with active ageing will be presented inspiring the participants to promote the active role of senior citizens in society and in the labour market.

More information on the 2012 European Year and the opening conference can be found here.

Active ageing and intellectual disability

Inclusion Europe sees this European Year as an opportunity to underline the importance of promoting active ageing for people with intellectual disabilities.

People with intellectual disabilities are a vulnerable category on their own. Even for young people with intellectual disabilities, being actively included in the community and sharing the same opportunities as everyone else is often not a standard. Discrimination and stereotypes are barriers which prevent them from being perceived as people with abilities and active members of the community. When they get older, these barriers might become even harder to overcome. Since people with intellectual disabilities, particularly those with severe disabilities and complex needs, are often getting support from their families; they might be left alone once their parents pass away.

Numerous cases of neglect and discrimination in medical services, most recently reported from the UK, show that getting quality and equal healthcare is a considerable issue for people with intellectual disabilities of all ages, particularly the elderly as the need for medical care often grows with age.

Moreover, governments should create and promote equal access to employment opportunities. This is a condition for an inclusive society, where people with intellectual disabilities could enjoy every phase of their life with decency, be independent and actively contribute to the social and economic life of the community with their skills and abilities.

Inclusion Europe hopes that the 2012 European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations will help to create the necessary conditions for people with intellectual disabilities to enjoy their life and rights to the full, and will continue to work towards this aim.