Title: What is Ageism? – The Radical Age Movement
Headings: 
What is Ageism?
Ageism
History
Age-based stereotypes: what are they?
The price we all pay for ageism
Ageism prevents us from developing an affirmative vision for a full human life and a vital multigenerational society.
How do we change it?

Content: But he first recognized decades earlier when, as a young and idealistic medical student, he was horrified to witness his fellow residents and students routinely refer to older people as “geezers” and “old witches” and trivialize their very real needs. Since then, many activists and researchers have documented the pervasive presence of ageist stereotypes in social attitudes, practices, and policies. Age-based stereotypes: what are they? The most common ageist stereotypes are negative, reflecting the ageist assumptions that all or most older adults are demented, weak, incompetent, disabled, or cranky. How often have you seen someone speak to an elderly person as they would to a child? Or speak loudly assuming that all older adults have hearing impairments? Or assume that if a young adult loses forgets something, they are simply forgetful but label the same behavior in an older person as ‘senile’? A few stereotypes are superficially positive, such as the “cuddly and cute little old lady” stereotype. But these stereotypes also disempower older adults because they discourage people from treating them as capable adults with the usual human range of complex capacities, attitudes, and needs.