About Age Discrimination

Age discrimination can affect people in employment, housing, healthcare and many other areas.

The Age Discrimination Act 2004 protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of age in employment, education, accommodation and the provision of goods and services.

The Age Discrimination Commissioner helps individuals and organisations understand their rights and meet their legal responsibilities.

The Commissioner’s work includes research, policy advice and education to remove the barriers to equality and participation faced by older Australians and young people.

The Age Discrimination Commissioner is Robert Fitzgerald AM. Commission Fitzgerald's key areas of focus include:

Mature and older workers: The Commission’s Willing to Work report, published in 2016, makes it clear that many mature and older Australians are willing and able to work but are prevented from doing so by age discrimination and lack of positive policies and supports.

Elder abuse: Elder abuse can take various forms, including: financial, physical, psychological, emotional or sexual. It can also be the result of intentional or unintentional neglect.

No older person should be subjected to any form of abuse. More information on elder abuse.

Ageism: Ageism is an obstacle to the experience of ageing positively. It can result in older people feeling they cannot exercise their rights and that their concerns are not being acknowledged and addressed. The Commission is committed to working with key sectors and the community to reduce ageism as an underpinning cause to many experiences of disadvantage and age discrimination.

Strengthening the human rights frameworks for older people: There is no binding international instrument dedicated to the rights of older persons, like there is for race, sex, children, and disability. This is despite the growing trend of ageing populations, both globally and in Australia. The Commission is committed to pursuing an international Convention on the Rights of Older Persons and a national human rights framework to clearly recognise and affirm human rights as they apply specifically in older age and to older people in all their diversity.

Promoting the rights of First Nations and culturally diverse people as they age: The Commission is committed to meaningful engagement with older people from these communities to understand their experience of ageing in Australia.

Age Discrimination Complaints

People who experience direct or indirect discrimination can lodge a complaint with the Commission.