40 stories for 40 Years | Older people's rights

For many Australians, age is simply a part of who they are. Yet assumptions about age can shape the opportunities people are offered, the services they can access and how their abilities are perceived.

In 2000, the Commission released Age Matters: A Report on Age Discrimination, a comprehensive national examination of discrimination based on age.

At the time, age discrimination was often viewed primarily as an employment issue affecting older workers. Age Matters painted a much broader picture. Drawing on submissions from individuals and organisations, the report documented how age-based assumptions and barriers affected both older and younger Australians, limiting opportunities in employment, health care, accommodation, insurance, financial services and other areas.

Importantly, the report framed age discrimination as a human rights issue. While federal laws already provided protections against discrimination on the basis of race, sex and disability, there was no equivalent comprehensive Commonwealth protection against age discrimination.

Age Matters called for stronger national protections, alongside reforms to remove unjustified age barriers, greater public education about ageism and action to challenge stereotypes about younger and older people.

The report helped put age discrimination firmly on the national policy agenda and provided an important evidence base for reform. Four years later, the Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth) established dedicated federal protections against age discrimination.

More than two decades later, the central message of Age Matters remains relevant: a person's age should not determine their opportunities, limit their access to services or define what they can contribute.

For many Australians, work provides more than an income. It offers purpose, connection, independence and an opportunity to contribute to society. Yet for decades, older Australians faced barriers that had little to do with their skills or experience and much to do with assumptions about age. 

In 2015, the Commission undertook the National Inquiry into Employment Discrimination Against Older Australians and Australians with Disability. Led by Age and Disability Discrimination Commissioner the Hon Susan Ryan AO, the inquiry sought to understand why older Australians and people with disability were being excluded from employment opportunities. 

The Commission heard from hundreds of people across Australia. Many older Australians described being overlooked for jobs, denied opportunities for advancement, excluded from recruitment processes or pressured into retirement because of assumptions about their age. 

The inquiry's findings were published in the landmark 2016 Willing to Work report. The report found that age discrimination remained widespread and was preventing many people from participating fully in Australia's economy and community life. Importantly, it reframed age discrimination as a systemic issue rather than a series of isolated experiences. 

The report made 56 recommendations aimed at removing barriers to employment and supporting greater workforce participation. These included reforms to workplace laws and recruitment practices, as well as measures to support people seeking work later in life. 

Willing to Work helped raise awareness and shift the national conversation about ageing and employment. It challenged stereotypes that portrayed ageing as a period of decline and highlighted the skills, experience and knowledge older workers bring to Australian workplaces. 

The report remains a defining example of how listening to the voices and lived experience of older Australians can inform policy and advocacy, help to drive change and expand opportunities for people as they age. 

Building a fair and inclusive society requires more than identifying discrimination. It also means finding practical ways to reduce it. 

While ageism affects many aspects of life, it is often driven by stereotypes and assumptions that become deeply embedded in everyday attitudes and behaviours. Challenging those attitudes is an important part of creating communities where people of all ages are valued and respected. 

In 2023, the Commission published Changing perspectives: testing an ageism intervention. The research explored the effectiveness of a one-off educational intervention to reducing ageist attitudes among workers in aged care and community settings. 

The project examined whether targeted educational interventions could help challenge common stereotypes about ageing and encourage more positive attitudes. Rather than focusing only on the problem, the research sought to identify solutions that could support meaningful change. 

The findings demonstrated that attitudes are not fixed. Greater awareness, information and education can help people recognise age-based assumptions and reconsider how they think about ageing and older people. 

The report also reinforced an important message: ageing is a normal part of life and older people continue to make significant contributions to workplaces, families and communities. Reducing ageism benefits not only older Australians but society as a whole by fostering greater inclusion, participation and respect. 

By testing practical educational intervention to address ageism, the project moved the conversation from awareness to action. It highlighted that discrimination can be challenged when people are equipped with the knowledge and tools to question stereotypes and embrace more inclusive ways of thinking. 

Changing perspectives reflects the Commission's commitment to identifying practical solutions that help build a fairer and more inclusive Australia for people of all ages. 

Everyone deserves healthcare that treats them with dignity, respect and fairness. Yet age-based assumptions can affect how older people experience healthcare and how decisions are made about their treatment. 

To better understand these experiences, the Commission undertook research examining ageism in healthcare settings. The findings were published in the 2025 report The age barrier: Older adults' experiences of ageism in health care. 

The report documented the experiences of older adults navigating Australia's healthcare system. Participants described situations where their concerns were dismissed, symptoms were attributed solely to age, or treatment options were limited because of assumptions about getting older. 

The findings demonstrated that ageism in healthcare can affect more than individual experiences. It can influence access to treatment, quality of care and people's confidence in seeking support when they need it. The report highlighted how age-based stereotypes can create barriers to equitable healthcare and undermine older people's ability to make informed decisions about their own lives. 

Importantly, the research reinforced that ageing is not a reason to lower expectations about care, participation or autonomy. Older people have diverse experiences, needs and aspirations, and healthcare systems work best when they respond to people as individuals rather than assumptions about age. 

By bringing these experiences into public view, The age barrier contributed to growing awareness of ageism beyond the workplace and into other areas of everyday life. It strengthened the evidence base for action and highlighted the importance of placing dignity, participation and equality at the centre of services that affect older Australians. 

The report demonstrates the importance of listening to lived experience and using evidence to identify barriers that can limit people's rights and opportunities.