Part 1: An Introduction to Advancing Equity in Legal and Aging Services
Thursday, October 28, 2021, 2:00-3:15 PM ET
Low-income older adults face a number of challenges grounded in structural racism and other forms of discrimination. As a way to help address those challenges, the Older Americans Act emphasizes that limited program and service resources should be targeted to older adults with the greatest economic or social need. The factors that cause social need include language barriers and isolation caused by racial or ethnic status. This webinar series is focused on how aging and legal services professionals can better advance equity for older adults in their own work.
The first webcast will:
- Provide an overview of why equity, especially race equity, is important for older adults with economic and social need.
- Review different strategies and opportunities to advance equity in aging and legal services.
- Highlight a local program’s journey to centering equity in its work with older adults.
Presenters:
- Denny Chan, Directing Attorney for Equity Advocacy, Justice in Aging.
- Kimberly Jones Merchant, Director of the Racial Justice Institute and Network, Shriver Center on Poverty Law.
- Kevin Prindiville, Executive Director, Justice in Aging.
- Pamela Walz, Supervising Attorney of the Health and Independence Unit, Community Legal Services of Philadelphia.
Future webinars in the series will continue to explore these topics and provide opportunities for audiences to learn about and discuss challenges specific to advancing equity in their work and ways to address them.
NCLER provides the legal services field and aging and disability communities with tools and resources to serve older adults with the greatest economic and social needs. Justice in Aging administers NCLER through a contract with ACL.