Disability and Ageing
摘要
This entry delves into the intersection of ageing and disability, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities presented by the growing population of older adults. The purpose of this entry is to provide an overview of the current scholarship on the following questions: How do older adults experience disability and how are they cared for? It begins by exploring the increasing prevalence of older adults living with disabilities, highlighting the global demographic shifts driven by rising life expectancy and medical advances. The heterogeneity of this group, in terms of gender, socio-economic status, and cultural contexts, is underscored, as is the importance of considering these factors in research and policy. This entry also examines the dichotomy often imposed between ageing and disability in research and practice, a separation that has fragmented care systems and led to overlook the complexities of individuals ageing with disabilities or ageing into disability. Technological interventions are addressed, both for their potential to enhance autonomy and their limitations, particularly regarding relational care and the risk of surveillance. Critical disability studies and ageing studies provide a framework for analyzing the systemic barriers and intersecting oppressions faced by this population. This entry advocates for an integrated approach, blending insights from both fields to propose inclusive policies and practices. These include addressing structural inequities, fostering holistic care models, and incorporating perspectives that center on social, cultural, and relational dimensions of ageing with disability. In conclusion, this entry reviews the current literature and calls for reframing ageing and disability as interconnected phenomena, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research and policy innovation to support the dignity, autonomy, and well-being of older adults with disabilities.