May 5, 2015
Ensuring Diverse Voices are Heard at the White House Conference on Aging
By: Jenna McDavid

The Diverse Elders Coalition and its partner organizations continue to engage the 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) to ensure that the voices of our diverse elder communities are heard and that meaningful, beneficial changes are made to US policy.  We have two exciting events happening this week in the western United States that will bring our constituents into contact with Nora Super, Executive Director of the WHCOA, and other White House staff.

whcoa

On Wednesday, May 6th, the National Indian Council on Aging is hosting an American Indian/Alaskan Native listening session in Norman, Oklahoma.  This session will bring together Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, caregivers, families, researchers, leaders in the field of aging, and other stakeholders from across Indian Country, offering a much-needed opportunity for those communities to provide input to the White House on the issues of most importance to older AI/AN Americans.  The event is open to the public, but pre-registration is required.  Click here to fill out the registration form and add your voice to those helping to frame the issues, foster discussion, and facilitate a vision for the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.

On Thursday, May 7th, a similar event will be held in Los Angeles, CA, inviting local elders from the communities served by the Diverse Elders Coalition to participate in a listening session with Nora Super and other WHCOA staff.  Hosted by the historic Pilipino Workers Center and supported and sponsored by nearly a dozen local and national aging organizations, this unique event will allow us to amplify the voices of our community members and ensure that our needs do not go unmet by the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.  Elders and caregivers will be given a chance to share their stories, ideas, and requests with WHCOA organizers in a town hall-type format.  This event is by invitation only, but if you cannot attend in person, we invite you to fill out our White House Conference on Aging survey and share YOUR story with WHCOA organizers and policymakers.

We are excited about the flurry of activity around the WHCOA this week and look forward to continued engagement with the White House and its aging policymakers as we approach the main White House Conference on Aging in Washington, DC later this year.  Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more updates and ways to get involved.

 

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Diverse Elders Coalition.