From Ageism to Age Equality: Addressing the Challenges ...

Provision of Goods, Services, Education and AccommodationIn 2003, approximately one in ten (9 per cent) of the case files under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to2004, which ban discrimination in the provision of goods and services, education andaccommodation, related to the age ground. These involved both older and younger people. Theissues raised included the use of age limits to exclude older people without any consideration givento the particular circumstances of the person involved. They included claims of discrimination inrelation to access to insurance provision, licensed premises and public services.In the case of Jim Ross, Sun Alliance was found to have discriminated against him in refusing toprovide motor insurance purely on the basis of his age. The company did not quote for new businessfor people aged seventy or over. In another case, the Q Bar was found to have discriminated againsta man aged 72 when it refused him access to the bar because of his age.Challenging DiscriminationLegislationDiscrimination can be challenged by our equality legislation. As Richard Baker points out in his paper,we lead the EU with the inclusion of an age ground in the Employment Equality Acts and EqualStatus Acts. This legislation has contributed to positive change in three ways:it provides a means for individuals to challenge their particular experiences of discriminationit serves as a stimulus for employers and service providers to have regard to equality inproviding employment or services to older people64it focuses our attention as a society on ageism and the need to combat this form ofdiscrimination.AdvocacyLegislation alone, however, is not enough. It is important to ensure that there is an effective range ofsupports in place to enable older people to make full use of the protections offered by the legislation.The Equality Authority has a role to play in providing legal advice and representation to claimantsunder the legislation. Criteria established by the Equality Authority prioritise cases that have astrategic impact or an effect that goes beyond the individual claimant. The Equality Authority is notin a position to provide legal advice and representation in all cases under the legislation. In thiscontext it is important that other sources of support are available to claimants.The trade unions play a valuable advocacy role in relation to workplace discrimination. More recentlythe community sector has begun to play a valuable advocacy role in relation to discrimination in theprovision of goods and services. Community advocacy has an important role to play in ensuring thatthe equality legislation makes its full contribution to challenging ageism.Community advocacy could involve older people’s groups in:providing information, advice and support to older people who have experienced discriminationpromoting an awareness of the equality legislation, its coverage of older people and successfulcases among local service providers and employersstimulating debate about the equality legislation, its importance and how it might be evolved tobest respond to the needs of older people.Conference Proceedings