Quick Links

    Welcome to the Equity in Aging Resource Center

    California’s vision of equity in aging is to transform every person’s older years into their golden years. To achieve this vision, the California Department of Aging (CDA) works to ensure that all Californians have access to opportunities and services to age how and where we choose - regardless of age, disability, race, ethnicity, immigration status, religion/faith, income, geography, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, or family status. CDA’s programs, planning, and partnerships aim to do the following:

    1. Expand culturally relevant and accessible services to older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and families
    2. Address health and other inequities that can become cumulative as we age; and
    3. combat racism and biases in our aging and disability systems of care.

    What is Equity and How Does it Differ from Equality?

    Equality is typically defined as giving everyone the same access to services and resources and treating everyone similarly. However, equity refers to ensuring that people have the access and support that they need according to their personal situation

    To learn more about equity and equality, we recommend the following short animated video:

    Ensuring Equity in Aging Webinar Series

    Join the California Department of Aging for a monthly peer-led Ensuring Equity in Aging webinar series featuring national, state, and local leaders! Let's learn together how we can help make our communities a more just place and build a California for ALL Ages. Mark your calendars for every first Wednesday from 10 - 11 a.m. through July 2021.

    Webinars will cover a range of topics including how historic and systemic discrimination and internal biases harm the wellbeing of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ, and disabled older adults. Speakers will address how we can work together to address the resulting inequities through culturally responsive policy, program, and service planning.


    Ensuring equity in aging webinar series. Peer-led discussions and insights on serving older adults in culturally responsive ways. Series launches Nov 4, 2020 #CaliforniaForAllAges

    Register for Upcoming Webinars

      more webinars coming soon

    Past Webinars

    Equity in Aging Advisory Committee

    The purpose of the Equity in Aging Advisory Committee (EAAC) is to advise the Administration on the implementation of the MPA, as well as CDA on the planning and implementation of aging and disability programs, services, data collection, and staff development. Additional information can be found below in the EAAC Background & Purpose Document.

    EAAC: Background & Purpose Document

    Equity in Aging Advisory Committee Meetings

    June 16, 2021
    2:00pm-4:00pm
    Video | Agenda | Presentation | Transcript

    March 16, 2021
    2:00pm-4:00pm
    Video | Agenda | Presentation | Transcript

    Articles on Equity in Aging

    A list of ageism resources
    Resource Description Link
    Justice in Aging Health Equity - Ensuring programs and services are delivered without discrimination https://www.justiceinaging.org/health-equity/
    American Psychological Association African American Older Adult and Race-Related Stress, How Aging and Health-Care Providers Can Help https://www.apa.org/pi/aging/resources/african-american-stress.pdf
    Next Avenue Article: Aging While Black https://www.nextavenue.org/aging-while-black/
    The Hill Opinion article by Michael Adams and Peter Kaldes: Anti-Racism & Pro-Aging: A Stonewall Legacy https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/504172-anti-racism-and-pro-aging-a-stonewall-legacy
    Stria News Building Toward Age Equity: Three Inter-changing Models https://strianews.com/building-toward-age-equity-three-inter-changing-models/
    National Academy of Medicine Transportation Equity, Health, and Aging: A Novel Approach to Healthy Longevity with Benefits Across the Lifespan https://nam.edu/transportation-equity-health-and-aging-a-novel-approach-to-healthy-longevity-with-benefits-across-the-life-span/
    The Gerontologist Healthy Ageing: Raising Awareness of Inequalities, Determinants, and What Could be Done to Improve Health Equity https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/56/Suppl_2/S178/2605347
    LGBT Aging Center Serving Diverse Elders: Strategies for Meaningful Inclusion in Service Planning and Delivery https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/resource.cfm?r=818
    YW Boston: Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women YW Boston Blog: What is Intersectionality, and what does it have to do with me? https://www.ywboston.org/2017/03/what-is-intersectionality-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-me/
    Center for Social Inclusion What is Racial Equity? https://www.centerforsocialinclusion.org/our-work/what-is-racial-equity/#:~:text=Careers-,What%20Is%20Racial%20Equity%3F,makes%20all%20of%20us%20pay.%E2%80%9D
    American Journal of Public Health Persons with Disabilities as an Unrecognized Health Disparity Population https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4355692/
    George Washington University What is the Difference Between Equity and Equality? https://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/blog/equity-vs-equality/
    older adult women wearing a face covering

    COVID-19, Older Adults, and Equity

    A list of ageism resources
    Resource Description Link
    Justice in Aging Life at the Intersection: Older Adults Need a Response to COVID-19 Grounded in Equity https://www.justiceinaging.org/life-at-the-intersection-older-adults-need-a-response-to-covid-19-grounded-in-equity/
    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Equity Principles for State and Local Leaders in Responding to, Reopening and Recovering from COVID-19 https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2020/05/health-equity-principles-for-state-and-local-leaders-in-responding-to-reopening-and-recovering-from-covid-19.html?cid/
    SAGE & Human Rights Campaign Foundation COVID-19 & LGBTQ Older People https://aging.ca.gov/download.ashx?lE0rcNUV0zb5ceoGbv5%2f%2fg%3d%3d
    American Public Health Association COVID-19 & Equity https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/communicable-disease/coronavirus/equity
    older adult man with toddler sitting on his shoulders, both are smiling

    Equity in Aging Tools & Resources

    A list of ageism resources
    Resource Description Link
    Stanford University: Health and Healthcare of African American Older Adults This module presents an overview of available information on health conditions among African American or Black older adults in the U.S. with emphasis on historical influences on their health and health care. https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/african_american.html
    Racial Equity Tools Organization offering web-based tools for promoting racial equity https://www.racialequitytools.org/home
    National Resource Center on LGBT Aging Health Equity & LGBT People of Color https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/resource.cfm?r=606
    National Resource Center on LGBT Aging Racial Equity Resources https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/resources.cfm?s=23
    Advancing Health Equity Advancing Health Equity: Leading Care, Payment, and System Transformation https://www.solvingdisparities.org/
    W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity Resource Guide http://www.racialequityresourceguide.org/about/glossary
    Racial Equity Alliance Advancing Rational Equity and Transforming Government: A resource guide to put ideas into action https://www.racialequityalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/GARE-Resource_Guide.pdf
    Human Impact Partners A four-part webinar series with national experts and local health departments to discuss their work to advance health equity. https://humanimpact.org/hipprojects/hegwebinars2017/
    California Department of Aging’s California for All Ages page CDA has compiled resources that will help you to be a part of the solution to ageism! Together, we can build a California for All Ages! https://aging.ca.gov/California_For_All_Ages/
    Office of the Tribal Advisor Cultural Humility: Basics for Working with California Native Americans https://tribalaffairs.ca.gov/resources/
    Adult man is holding a book in front of an older adult man, reading together on a bench. Older adult man is resting one hand on a walker.

    Short Videos on Equity and Equality

    A list of ageism resources
    Resource Description Link
    American Society on Aging (ASA) webinar series on Justice & Equity ASA believes work on racial justice can no longer remain at the margins for those of us who work to improve the lives of older people in this country. Peter Kaldes, CEO of ASA, speaks with experts in aging whose work intersects with racial injustice and inequity. https://www.asaging.org/asa-studios#future-proof
    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Equity vs. Equality
    In the United States, we talk a lot about "equality." But for all of us to have a fair and just opportunity to live our healthiest lives, we need to talk about "equity." That means different people might need different things, the same way we need different bicycles.     		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlXZyNtaoDM
    Center for Prevention MN Health Equity Animated: Equity vs. Equality
    "Equity vs. Equality" explores the difference between the needs of various communities, and how addressing those specific needs requires specific solutions … not just boots, but "boots that fit".     		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZd4no4gZnc
    Center for Prevention MN Health Equity Animated: Zip Code
    Where you live, what your zip code is, impacts your health. This video takes a look at two friends who live on "opposites sides of town". They grow up together, but because of a few miles, their realities and daily struggles couldn’t be further apart.     		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_GfpuavbIU
    Let’s Learn Public Health The Social Determinants of Health: An Introduction
    The Social Determinants of Health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live and age. In this video we take a look at the social determinants of health, what they are, how they impact health.     		https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PH4JYfF4Ns
    American Public Health Association Disability and Health Equity: Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, Global Disability Advisor at the World Bank Group talks about the biggest challenges facing the disability community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gar9_cZPcmo
    The California Endowment: Health Happens Here A Tale of Two Zip Codes:
    When it comes to our health, our zip code matters more than our genetic code.    		 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu7d0BMRt0o
    An intergenerational family is sitting on a sofa smiling and playing a board game

    Organizations Promoting Equity in Aging

    A list of ageism resources
    Resource Description Link
    Diverse Elders Coalition The Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) advocates for policies and programs that improve aging in our communities as racially and ethnically diverse people; American Indians and Alaska Natives; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender people. https://www.diverseelders.org/
    National Resource Center on LGBT Aging The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging is the country's first and only technical assistance resource center aimed at improving the quality of services and supports offered to lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender older adults. https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/index.cfm?s=1
    Justice in Aging Justice in Aging is a national organization that uses the power of law to fight senior poverty by securing access to affordable health care, economic security, and the courts for older adults with limited resources. https://www.justiceinaging.org/
    California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity (OHE) The OHE provides a key leadership to reduce health and mental health disparities experienced by vulnerable communities in California. Website includes data, reports, and information to address health equity across California. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/Pages/OfficeHealthEquity.aspx
    The National Caucus & Center on Black Aging (NCBA) NCBA is a national organization addressing issues impacting African Americans age 50 & over. https://ncba-aging.org/