About this event
WEAAD 2026 Online Forum – "Empower, Prevent, Protect: A Rights-Based Approach to Elder Abuse."
Date: Tuesday, 23 June 2026 | Time: 10am ACST
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Join us for ARAS' 19th World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Forum, "Empower, Prevent, Protect: A Rights-Based Approach to Elder Abuse."
The forum generates strong national and international interest each year and provides a valuable platform for public officials and leaders, advocates, policymakers, researchers and practitioners to share insights, evidence and innovative approaches to addressing elder abuse.
This year's theme, "Empower, Prevent, Protect: A Rights-Based Approach to Elder Abuse," highlights the importance of upholding the rights, dignity and autonomy of older people while strengthening prevention and response efforts across our communities.
The theme also reflects a shift towards proactive, rights-driven systems that place older people at the centre of decision-making, as reinforced by the new Aged Care Act and its focus on person-centred quality standards. By empowering individuals with knowledge and voice, strengthening safeguards to prevent harm, and ensuring robust protections when abuse occurs, a rights-based approach fosters not only safety but genuine inclusion and respect. It recognises elder abuse as a violation of fundamental human rights and calls for coordinated action across governments, services and communities to uphold dignity, autonomy and wellbeing.
The program will include an introduction to ARAS by Anne Burgess AM, Chairperson of ARAS, followed by presentations from respected leaders, including Natalie Siegel-Brown, Inspector-General of Aged Care, and Robert Fitzgerald AM, Age Discrimination Commissioner.
We look forward to convening respected speakers and leaders to advance this important global conversation, showcasing their work and contributions to strengthening a rights-based approach in safeguarding older people from abuse.
Why attend?
- Be part of a nationally recognised forum — our last online event welcomed over 800 registrants.
- Hear from thought leaders and changemakers across aged care, health, community services, and research.
- Join a diverse audience from across Australia and beyond.
Since 1990, ARAS has been empowering older South Australians to uphold their aged care and human rights. As the SA member of the Commonwealth-funded Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), ARAS continues to lead the conversation on elder abuse prevention.
Let's come together to champion the rights of older people and build a safer, more respectful aged care system.
See it. Stop it. Prevent it. There's no excuse for abuse
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