Lillian Hyatt and the Importance of Advocacy — Even In Your 80s

While I was in California last summer, a friend introduced me to Lillian Hyatt.  I had already known of her by reputation and it was a real pleasure to speak to her in person and to continue our communications by telephone and mail. She’s a dynamo, a person who does not take aging “lying down.”  Born in 1925 (believe me, she doesn’t mind me disclosing that fact!), Lillian Hyatt is just about as active in “retirement” as she was during her many years as a writer, consultant, advocate, social worker, and university professor. 

So I was especially interested to notice that when I clicked on a hyperlink embedded in a recent New York Times article about the impact of “falling” in an “aging nation,” it took me to  a press release about Lillian Hyatt.  Back in 2008, Ms. Hyatt filed suit against a California Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), to prevent it from banning walkers from the dining room of this high-end retirement community.   She needed the walker to maneuver in what was, in essence, her home. 

The lawsuit, asserting violation of the federal Fair Housing Act and other state and federal laws that address discrimination based on disability, was settled in 2010.  Others have pursued similar claims in assisted living settings, public spaces and more.  For more on the continuing impact of Ms. Hyatt’s advocacy — even though, curiously, she is never mentioned by name in the NYT article — read “Bracing for the Falls of an Aging Nation.”  Advocates such as Ms. Hyatt challenge all of us to work harder to find a better balance between protection and respect for independence.