Whether we like it or not, we’re all getting older. Luckily for us, York University’s School of Health Policy and Management and the York University Centre for Aging Research and Education (YU-CARE) are conducting groundbreaking research to ensure that our city is equipped to meet the needs of its aging population.
Tamara Daly
On Oct. 18, York is partnering with the Trent Centre for Aging and Society and the Toronto Reference Library to bring together a panel of experts with a vision for age-friendly communities for our future selves. The event, EngAGEing Ideas for Age-Friendly Communities, part of the Aging in the City speaker series, takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Beeton Hall Events Centre on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library at 789 Yonge St.
This speaker series is a result of a new project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) called Imagining Age-Friendly “Communities within Communities”: International Promising Practices Partnership. The project, directed by York University Professor Tamara Daly, is focused on the needs of different groups as they age in cities around the world.
The speakers will present vignettes that highlight different groups’ needs, identify the project’s focus on inclusion and equity, and describe the upcoming fieldwork. This will be followed by group discussion.
Sean Hillier
Featured speakers will include:
- Professor Tamara Daly, director of the York University Centre for Aging Research and Education;
- Associate Professor Rachel da Silva Gorman, York University;
- Assistant Professor Sean Hillier, York University;
- Associate Professor Susan Braedley, Carleton University; and
- Professor Sally Chivers, director of the Trent Centre for Aging and Society.
The Aging in the City speaker series contributes to how we think about and understand Toronto as one of the World Health Organization’s “age-friendly cities.” It is meant to bring awareness to and problematize how the current understanding of the term “age-friendly” takes up culture, race, Indigeneity, gender, sexuality, disability, immigration and what it means for these groups to age with dignity and respect. Integral to this understanding is the insider’s lens, which is why the conversation will rely on the voices of our city’s citizens, care workers, partners, organizations and agencies.
This event is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. Light refreshments and snacks will be served.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to agequity@yorku.ca or register online. This is a wheelchair accessible space. If you require an accommodation, contact Emily McIntyre at 416-736-2100 ext. 22237.