Tools for the Trade – JAPA Takeaway: Dementia-Friendly Public Participation

More than 50 million people worldwide are living with dementia — a number that is set to nearly double every 20 years, says Alzheimer's Disease International.

People living with dementia (PLWD), like other individuals with disabilities, have the right to be included in the communities in which they live. Unfortunately, the stigma of dementia, often perpetuated by misconceptions of "capacity" or "losing oneself," causes PLWD to be thought of as passive care recipients rather than citizens with voices to be heard, including in public participation in planning. The result is exclusionary built environments and community programing.