University of the Third Age Bunbury conference looks to redefine the can and cannots of ageing

In a bid to combat ageism, language isn’t the only thing which needs to be in the spotlight with attitudes a main contributor, according to an upcoming South West speaker on the issue.

A talk on ageism is set to take centre stage at the University of the Third Age conference at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre this week.

The talk is happening on the back of the State Government launching a $400,000 campaign to alter language and attitudes towards older people.

Speaker Graham Houghton said he believed ageism was more complicated than language.

“The Government’s push is to change the language, now that’s part of the exercise, but I think it’s only part,” he said.

“What I will be doing at this talk is saying that ageism emphasises the can’t dos to an age group, mainly the retireds and the older people.

“It’s the can’t dos — ‘you can’t do this, you can’t do that, you can’t do it because you’re too old, you won’t understand’.

“You’ve all heard it, it goes everywhere but it’s an attitude, it’s not simply language.”

The conference is also looking to introduce the generation to new technologies including artificial intelligence.

Staff from the City of Bunbury Library will show off the new tech.

U3A Bunbury branch president Tyril Houghton said the chance to expose seniors to new technology would be important.

“It’s rare that people of our generation are now being encouraged to understand what AI is, to see the impact also of that ability to use the internet,” she said.

“As we know now, they’re closing banks, we’ve got to be able to get online.

“In the future we’re going to be setting up connection points for people to be able to actually use the internet effectively because some people don’t even have a mobile phone in our society and it’s really important that people are encouraged to do that.”