Why Ageism And Ableism Should Be Front And Center In Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Strategy

In the past year, companies created more roles for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion than ever before. That’s good because the root causes of inequities are complicated, and it takes someone with deep understanding and influence to shift employee hearts and minds.

But, there’s a serious problem. 

Age is rarely included in the DEI equation. And that means many employee cultures are not learning how age bias and discrimination show up in the workplace. Nor are they being schooled on the intersection of age across other dimensions of diversity, including ableism. 

“It’s important to distinguish between ageism and ableism,” says Ashton Applewhite, age activist and author of This Chair Rocks, “because we need to understand what we’re up against.”

Like inequities across any other dimension of diversity, unpacking the root cause and understanding how it manifests in the workplace can be complicated.

“We’re being ageist anytime we judge someone based on how old we think they are, and ableist when we judge them based on how we assume their minds or bodies function. We’re being ageist and ableist when we attribute capacity—or incapacity—to someone based on their age.”

Applewhite warns that ignoring the overlap between ageism and ableism reinforces a dual stigma. Consider people who make comments like, I may need help getting around, but at least I’m not in a wheelchair! Or, I may be disabled, but at least I’m not old.

An ageist and ableist culture gives companies an excuse to look the other way and do nothing. And doing nothing perpetuates stereotypes and bias that have the potential to hurt every employee.

Proactively addressing age equity is important because it increases a sense of employee belonging and productivity. When younger employees witness age bias against older co-workers, it undermines their trust in the organization. In this way, ageism creates a negative boomerang effect across the age spectrum. 

When exclusion of a particular group is embedded into the work culture, the safety of belonging is interrupted. The exclusion of older workers is particularly unsettling given that it predicts the future work experience for anyone younger.

Important First Steps

Processes and Policies

Examine employee policies and people processes, such as recruiting, to root out potential barriers around age and ableism. For example, are recruiters vetted for clear understanding of the many dimensions of diversity? Do they understand the importance–and know how–to sourcing inclusively? Are hiring managers comfortable interviewing candidates across all dimensions of diversity? Does the employee handbook include language about age equity and explain the actions taken for employees using agist language or discriminating practices?

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