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An Government campaign to
stamp out age-related discrimination is urging Scots to See the Person, not
the Age.
The �640,000 anti-ageism campaign will feature television, radio, online and
press advertising and encourage Scots to think past stereotypes based on
age.
Running from today until the end of September, it will also incorporate work
with local authorities and the voluntary sector.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said:
"The number of Scots of pensionable age is rising, and we can all benefit
from the skills and experience that older people bring.
"But there are challenges involved in planning for an ageing population and
one of them is to ensure we create a Scotland that is inclusive.
"We know stereotypes based on someone's race or gender are wrong, but
stereotypes based on age still persist. Through this campaign, the Scottish
Government is encouraging all Scots to look past the age and to see the
person."
Lindsay Scott from Help the Aged said:
"Help the Aged in Scotland fully supports this innovative campaign aimed at
breaking down the barriers relating to age through improving communication,
understanding and trust between the age groups.
"Our experience is that the gulf between the generations is an artificial
one. That's why we ask everyone to think twice before stereotyping others on
the basis of age."
Age Concern Scotland's Chief Executive David Manion said:
"Age Concern Scotland warmly welcomes the Scottish Government's See the
Person, not the Age campaign.
"We need to understand how stereotypes, discriminatory language and humour
used in popular culture affect people, and how limiting they can be for
people in the workplace or people who are accessing services."
See the Person, not the Age will be supported by an interactive website
which will encourage target audiences to think twice before making
assumptions based on age.
The campaign follows the publication of All Our Futures: Planning for a
Scotland with an Ageing Population (March 2007), in which the Scottish
Government committed to a campaign to combat ageism.
The number of Scots of pensionable age is expected to rise by around 31 per
cent from 980,000 in 2006 to 1,290,000 in 2031.
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