Anyone who has used stock images will know that, when it comes to certain demographics, there isn’t much choice. We are thrilled that The Centre for Ageing Better has launched a free library of positive and realistic images of people aged 50 and over.
The images show a more realistic depiction of ageing and old age – to provide alternatives to the commonly used pictures of ‘wrinkly hands’ or walking sticks. The library, which contains over 1,500 images and will be regularly updated, offers organisations a wide selection of images that avoid stereotypes associated with older people.
The launch of the new resource follows our work on ageism and attitudes to ageing, including a recent report ‘An old age problem?’ which looked at depictions of later life across society. The report found that stock image libraries often use unrealistically positive or negative depictions of people in later life, and recommended that in both words and pictures, the media should attempt to communicate a more diverse representation of what it means to be older without resorting to stereotype and caricature.
Images in the library are free for use and cover various themes related to ageing such as health, community activity and employment.
