Can Age-Friendly Communities Also be Disability Friendly: What do Surveys of Older Adults and People With Disabilities Tell Us?

Abstract

Pennsylvania recently developed “Aging Our Way” to guide age-friendly policies and programs. Age-friendly policies reduce physical and social barriers to participation, but little information is available on how older people and younger people with disabilities characterize the age-friendliness of their environments. This study assessed the perceptions of adults with disabilities across the life course using a web-based survey based on the Age-friendly Community framework. The survey was available online, promoted at public meetings conducted by Pennsylvania Department on Aging (PDA) staff, and distributed via affiliate organizations. Results (n = 5,072) show that younger adults with disabilities (age 21–59) report lower levels of participation in social and community activities than older adults (age 60 +). Older and younger people with disabilities face similar barriers (e.g., transportation and accessibility). Age-friendly features were consistently associated with better physical health and lower social isolation. Including younger adults with disabilities is important for informing the design and impact of age-friendly policies.