A personal perspective from Steve Milsom Hon. Sec. Cymru Older Peoples Alliance.
Wales has about 670,000 disabled people or 21% of the population (Census 2021). Of these, around 300,000 are aged 60+ (45%) based on age‑band data from the same census. According to the 2021 Census, there is a higher proportion of disabled people within older age groups Of people aged 50 years and over, 32.9% reported being disabled, compared to 13.4% of those under 50 years old. (Commissioner for Older People (2026). Why therefore are disabled older people often excluded from disability rights discourse and policies? Is this due to conceptual, institutional, and cultural barriers? What can be done to adjust this imbalance?
As reported by both the Commissioner for Older People and Age Cymru, Older disabled people often face multiple overlapping disadvantages, such as:
- Higher poverty risk
- Reduced independence.
- Poorer health outcomes
- Greater loneliness
- Digital exclusion.
It is well evidenced that Older Disabled People face health and mobility limitations (e.g. Chronic conditions, multiple conditions, mobility problems) that makes everyday tasks harder. This can result in a higher risk of isolation because leaving home becomes difficult and there is a greater reliance on carers or family. Many disabled older people live in homes that are not adapted including stairs, narrow doorways, poor heating, inaccessible bathrooms. Many older people who are disabled face additional disability costs (heating, equipment, transport) but rely on the state pension and disability benefits. Figures from DWP suggest that 180,000- 190,000 older people in Wales rely on Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payments. A majority of those also rely on state pensions.
In daily life, disabled older people have to cope with infrequent and inaccessible public transport (steps, lack of audio/visual announcements) as well as limited community transport availability. This can result in difficulty attending medical appointments and reduced ability to shop, socialise, volunteer, or participate in community life. Many older disabled people lack digital skills, devices, or affordable broadband. There is an active debate about digital exclusion and more recently about digital ageism (Older people https://olderpeople.wales/resource/digital-ageism/at significant risk of digital ageism and social exclusion, warns Commissioner – Older People’s Commissioner for Wales ) but all of this also need to be considered in the specific context of disabled older people too.
The Disability sector in Wales has been prominent in Wales over a number of years and been successful in getting their “voice “heard (Home. – Disability Wales ) . Looking at that campaigning and policy narrative, taking aside “working,” most of the issues impacting on disabled older people are those that working age disabled people are also concerned about. With the boundaries between working life and retirement becoming increasingly blurred and some older people needing to “unretire,” it is surely time for a greater coalescence between these groups of disabled people – who are after all, just at various stages of life.
Although the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) should apply to all ages, states rarely interpret it that way. Ann Leahy’s 2024 analysis of 28 European state reports to the UN CRPD Committee shows that states mostly focus on working-age adults with disabilities, while equating old age with dependency. Leahy describes this as an “ambivalent approach to disability in old age” and from an ageism perspective and principles of equality, the rationale for this difference is difficult to understand. The on-going agenda to develop a UN Convention on the Rights of Older People (from the existing “Principles) provides the opportunity to put this right and ensure at least a cross referencing but hopefully a level playing field. Welsh Government could play a helpful influencing role in addressing this barrier to rights and equality.
The commitment in the Plaid Cymru Manifesto to “a new Human Rights Act that fully incorporates key international treaties into Welsh law” is very welcome, However the accompanying list of relevant treaties does not include reference to the UN Principles for Older People (United Nations Principles for Older Persons – Older People’s Commissioner for Wales ) which is already embedded in Welsh law. Now that we know that there will be a Plaid Government in Wales until 2030, this omission must be rectified in implementation of this promise including for disabled older people. Elsewhere in the Plaid Manifesto there is a commitment to “Deliver a robust and action-oriented Disabled People’s Rights Action Plan, with clear lines of accountability, and regular and transparent reporting on progress.” And “Remove barriers to participation, promote equal access and champion the leadership of disabled people” Whilst again, this is to be welcomed, there is no reference to older disabled people. The terms of reference for developing the Rights Action Plan must include a definition of “Disabled People” that encompasses ageing and older disabled people. This can be framed in the context of the developing Age Friendly Communities initiative in Wales and build on its initial progress ( Written Statement: Creating an age-friendly Wales (6 March 2026) | GOV.WALES ) .
In research, a conceptual separation between “Ageing” and “Disability” has developed with disability and ageing research being largely written in isolation from each other. A 2024 comparative study by Salla Era, Hisayo Katsui, and Teppo Kroger found that ageing research tends to frame disability as a natural and inevitable part of old age, while disability studies focus on social oppression and rights. This results in a conceptual gap—older persons with disabilities are treated more as passive care recipients than as rights-holders. cambridge.org Whilst it might be over ambitious to think that this divide could be easily resolved, there must be room for dialogue in the research community in Wales to ensure better collaboration and for a “rights-based, intersectional approach that bridges elder and disability frameworks to ensure equal recognition and participation” for disabled older people
This blog has highlighted the need to include disabled older people in the wider movement to improve rights, outcomes, and services for disabled people. This imbalance has persisted for many years, but the current climate in Wales now seems right for a debate on how to address this long-standing divide. This is a matter of equality and rights, but above all it affects whether older disabled people can live with dignity and receive the support and services they need to participate in their communities.
References
Understanding Wales Ageing Population https://olderpeople.wales/resource/understanding-wales-ageing-population-key-statistics/
ONS – Census 2021: Disability, England, and Wales https://www.ons.gov.uk/census
StatsWales – Disabled and non-disabled people by age and sex (Census 2021) https://stats.gov.wales/en-GB/topic/73/disability
DWP – Statistics at DWP (State Pension caseload) https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics?utm_source=copilot.com
DWP – Stat‑Xplore (Attendance Allowance & PIP datasets) https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics?utm_source=copilot.com
Plaid Cymru Manifesto 2026 Senedd 2026 Manifestos: Plaid Cymru – State of Wales
Salla Era, Hisayo Katsui, Teppo Krögerttps (2024) From Conceptual Gaps to Policy Dialogue: Conceptual Approaches to Disability and Old Age in Ageing Research and Disability Studies Salla Era1 From Conceptual Gaps to Policy Dialogue: Conceptual Approaches to Disability and Old Age in Ageing Research and Disability Studies
Ann Leahy (2024) An ambivalent approach to disability in older age: evidence from reporting by states parties under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 October 2024An ambivalent approach to disability in older age: evidence from reporting by states parties under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Ageing & Society | Cambridge Core