ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that theoretical developments in geographical disability studies can further inform the understanding of the spaces in and through which the difference of ageing is produced, embodied, and experienced. It focuses on recent theoretical debates around ageing and suggests some important points of similarity between this work and disability scholarship. The reluctance to embrace the identity of older person may be similar to the ambivalence around being categorised as being disabled. Biomedical models are the dominant way of understanding ageing. Disengagement theory is the argument that ageing is associated with an inevitable and natural process of gradual withdrawal from work and people. Activity theory, in contrast, is the view that a successful old age can be achieved by engaging in and maintaining roles and relationships. The contested identities of age heighten the tensions between fighting against inequality and celebrating diversity that are also evident in the disability sector.
