2005 WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE
[29 September 2004 - Washington, D.C.] The White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) today unveiled its Web site (http://www.whcoa.gov), which houses an array of information about the planning and progress of 2005 White House Conference on Aging. The site not only features architecture for easy navigation and access to information, but also contains a calendar of events and links to other resources. The site is designed to reach a growing number of individuals who increasingly use the Internet to gain information, conduct daily business and lead healthier, better quality lives.

"Today's launch marks the first time a White House Conference on Aging has established a presence on the Web, specifically designed to provide the public with updates and information about the Conference," said Dr. Ann Y. McGee, Executive Director of the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. "We know that the Internet has increasingly become part of every day life for many Americans, thus launching this Web site is an integral component of our ongoing efforts to be responsive to the needs of consumers through the use of modern technology," said McGee.

The WHCOA's new Web site will provide information about the Conference, which is scheduled to take place on October 23-26, 2005 in Washington, D.C. Included on the site will be results of Policy Committee meetings including the development of the Conference agenda, topic areas and the delegate selection, as well as important regional, state and local information related to the Conference. The WHCOA Web site will continue to be updated as information becomes available.

"With computers in more than half of U.S households, and more than one in five seniors online, we hope our new site can serve as a vehicle to effectively communicate our mission and progress on a broader scale. We are looking to the future as we prepare for this historic event," said Policy Chair Dorcas R. Hardy. Twenty-two percent of seniors (about 8 million) were Internet users in 2004, up from 15 percent in 2000, according to a recent study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. This group, together with the country's 78 million baby boomers, makes up the fastest growing Internet population.

"I applaud the White House Conference on Aging for moving quickly to develop a Web site so that more people can learn about the 2005 White House Conference on Aging and the critical issues it advocates on behalf of older Americans," said Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging of the U.S. Administration on Aging.

The mission of the WHCOA is to make policy recommendations to the President and Congress, and to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence, and economic security of current and future generations of older persons. In addition to addressing issues of the current older population, the 2005 White House Conference has a mandate to focus on needs and impact of those individuals born between 1946 and 1964 (baby boomers).