In 2021, Sacramento County joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network of States and Communities. Two years later, Sacramento County was awarded a grant from the California Department of Aging to develop the Local Aging and Disability-Friendly Action Plan.
A significant demographic shift is occurring across the county, the state, and the country. By 2030, 25% of the county’s population will be aged 60 and older; by 2060, it will be 30% (or 620,000 people). Meanwhile, the percentage of people with a disability has remained consistent over the last 15 years; currently, 200,000 county residents live with a disability.
The age and disability-friendly movement represents an opportunity to revisit how we design our communities. If we adapt our surroundings to better meet needs as we age, we will create communities that will be more supportive and accessible for all. We believe that planning ahead leads to better outcomes.
To understand how to create a Sacramento County community for all ages and abilities, we spoke with the people who live and work here. We conducted twenty-six community listening sessions that became the basis for the recommended goals and projects in this Action Plan.
What we learned can be summed up in one word: access. Too many older adults and people with disabilities do not have equitable access to their basic needs.
Access means affordable and accessible housing, transportation, and health care. Access means physical mobility for all abilities; language support; dignity and respect in the public and private sector; and gainful employment. Most importantly, it means having the love and support of family, friends, and neighbors. This is what it will mean to be age and disability friendly in Sacramento County.
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