“I wasn't broken”: Addressing stigma associated with dementia while Walking the Talk for Dementia

INTRODUCTION: Walking the Talk for Dementia (WTD) convenes people from every continent and multiple perspectives, including people with lived experience, in a 40-km walk followed by a 2-day symposium. The aim is collective reflective dialogue about dementia stigma without the burden of professional hierarchies. METHODS: Qualitative reflections during and immediately following the walk were analyzed using content analysis to identify common themes. RESULTS: Three themes demonstrate an evolution of perspectives about dementia and stigma: "meeting the person not the label", "a community in solidarity", and "I wasn't treated like I was broken, and I wasn't broken." DISCUSSION: WTD created an environment where people felt safe to recognize and express their unconscious biases. Participants observed that limiting beliefs about people with dementia were universal, regardless of context. These experiences involved deep self-learning. Participants left the event with a deeper understanding of dementia-related stigma and its impacts.