Age-positive image library launched to tackle negative stereotypes of later life

The Centre for Ageing Better has launched a useful & valuable tool for companies and projects working on solutions, services and initiatives around (active and healthy) ageing: a free library showing positive and realistic images of older people to avoid portraying negative stereotypes.

The images in the library show a more realistic depiction of ageing and old age – to provide alternatives to the commonly used pictures of wrinkly hands or walking sticks. The library, which contains over 400 images and will be regularly updated, offers organisations a wide selection of images that avoid stereotypes associated with older people.

The launch of the new resource follows the Centre’s work on ageism and attitudes to ageing, including a recent report ‘An old age problem?’ which looked at depictions of later life across society. The report found that stock image libraries often use unrealistically positive or negative depictions of people in later life, and recommended that in both words and pictures, the media should attempt to communicate a more diverse representation of what it means to be older without resorting to stereotype and caricature. The image library coincides with work on creating a suite of age-positive icons.

Images in the library are free for use and cover various themes related to ageing such as health, community activity and employment.

For more information, see https://www.ageing-better.org.uk/news/age-positive-image-library-launched.

Access the library at https://ageingbetter.resourcespace.com/pages/search.php