It is estimated that by 2050 over 3.5 billion people would benefit from Assistive Technology, yet 90% will not have access.
AT2030 is changing that.
GDI Hub
It is estimated that by 2050 over 3.5 billion people would benefit from Assistive Technology, yet 90% will not have access.
AT2030 is changing that.
AT2030 tests ‘what works’ to improve access to life-changing Assistive Technology (AT) for all. Led by Global Disability Innovation Hub and funded by UK aid, we've reached 29 million people in 61 countries, driving a lifetime of potential. In 2023 UK aid announced a further £31 million investment to the AT2030 programme.
At COSP, the UN annual Disability conference at the United Nations in New York, Rt Hon Tom Pursglove MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work in the UK, announced that UK Aid would invest a further £31 million into the AT2030 programme, to reach 9 million more people directly and 12 million more people indirectly with life-changing accessible technology.
GDI Hub
The programme is divided into four Programme Clusters and 12 sub-programmes to test ‘what works’ for AT
The GDI Hub is playing a key role in the #WeThe15 campaign, sport's biggest ever human rights movement.
Find out more about #WeThe15
This case study shares findings and recommendations for infrastructure, built environment and urban development - with the aim of driving global action to more accessible and inclusive cities. Building a picture of the current state of the built environment in Medellín, to understand the potential for inclusive design to address barriers to inclusion for persons with disabilities.
Despite increased focus on the need for assistive technology (AT), very little is actually known about how people who need AT are managing in humanitarian contexts. This research found that the provision of AT (in this case mainly assistive devices) is ad hoc, and largely related to the access, availability and focus of NGO-funded projects in camps or communities.
This paper focuses on the local repair of assistive products in low resource environments. We review the existing literature on the repair of assistive products in low resource settings, and briefly discuss the “Right to Repair” movement.
This research summary provides key highlights and snapshot content from the journal paper, The AT 2030 Para Sport Against Stigma project aimed to examine how disability stigma can be overcome through Para sport so to increase assistive technology (AT) adoption in Africa.
Medellín, Colombia is the sixth and final case study city under the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) led and UK Aid funded AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure sub-programme. Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín is well-known for its progress in urban development in the last 20 years, moving forward from its violent history. Medellín has been designated a district of innovation and is known for innovative urban projects such as its cable cars and electric escalators that connect higher altitude, low-income communities on the peripheries of the city. This case study explores the current state of accessibility and inclusion in the city for persons with disabilities and helps understand whether such urban innovations are inclusive for all the city’s residents.
An online event to share the findings and recommendations for infrastructure, built environment and urban development in Medellín, Colombia.
The UN annual Disability conference at the United Nations in New York, Rt Hon Tom Pursglove MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work in the UK, announced that UK Aid would invest a further £31 million into the AT2030 programme, led by GDI Hub, to reach 9 million more people directly and 12 million more people indirectly with life-changing accessible technology.
A full list of details and registration to the GDI Hub led side-event at Conference of State Parties (COSP) to the CRPD as well as details of the side-events GDI Hub are co-hosting and supporting with partners.
A podcast featuring interviews and stories from the brains behind the disruptive and cutting-edge innovations that are aiming to impact the lives of millions of people living in different areas of the world.
How can smartphones and digital assistive technology positively change the lives of persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries? How do people with visual or communication impairments in low- and middle-income countries want to use electronic devices in their everyday lives? And what are the real-world implications of this technology to people in terms of cost, use, and effectiveness, particularly in settings with low data and bandwidths? These are just some of the research questions being explored in an exciting study taking place in Kenya, India and Brazil. Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), ATscale and Google are collaborating on a two-year research project to gather evidence to support work to make smartphones more accessible, useful and empowering to persons with disabilities. The project is funded by UK Aid's AT2030 programme to test ‘what works’ to improve access to life-changing assistive technology for all.
We ran our first AT storytelling workshop as part of the Bridge CRPD-SDGs Training of Trainers Module A in Geneva, Switzerland, organised by the International Disability Alliance (IDA), the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and supported by partners including the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK (FCDO).
Assistive technology (AT), like hearing aids, wheelchairs, and glasses, is critical to healthy ageing as it supports functioning and independence. As most countries are rapidly and dynamically ageing (or already aged), access to AT cannot be underestimated. Yet evidence on what AT is needed, where, and by whom is sparsely available in global health literature.
The partnership between GDI Hub and CHAI has been a great example of how complementary capabilities and experiences can fuel transformational change. In this blog we explore more on the history and future of collaboration, and how we are working together to drive access and impact of AT globally.
Richard Lubanza (34) is a Zambian Para Powerlifter and has been competing successfully for his country since 2014. Originally from Lusaka, Richard was born with Polio and whilst he can walk short distances, he uses a pair of outdated crutches held together with duct tape, and an equally damaged wheelchair to get around.
Emmanuel Nii Tettey Okuwas working as an electrical engineer and hobby body builder but following an accident in 2013 he had to have his left leg amputated and was faced with having to adapt to a new way of living. For some time, Emmanuel felt hopeless (and angry) as he could no longer work or be active as before. However, in 2016 he watched a broadcast from the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games and was excited to see people in wheelchairs lifting weights. It wasn’t until 2018 that a friend mentioned that he had seen some people doing disability sport at the Accra Sports Stadium, so he went along and met with the coach of the Para Powerlifting program, Coach Prince. Emmanuel started training straight away, “I fell in love with it. I gave it my all and now I am a national para-athlete.”
Ghanaian athlete Tahiru Haruna, 29, from the Greater Accra area has won multiple medals in Para Power Lifting (107kg+) and Arm Wrestling for Ghana since he became an athlete in 2017. His next aim is to add Ghana’s first ever Paralympic Gold medal to his haul at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024 and showcase to other people with disabilities that it is possible to achieve a sporting dream. Tahiru’s sporting success has seen him travel to many other countries around the world for competition. This access to new cultures, sporting infrastructures and systems has provided him with some valuable experiences on how disability is perceived and managed within his own country.
Lugha Ishara was founded by Nancy Maina and a team of four volunteers who were passionate about improving the lives of Deaf children and young adults in the country. Their goal was to provide child-friendly KSL testing products that would tackle the challenges of language deprivation and understand the systemic causes to provide solutions. They provide methods and tools for early detection and intervention of hearing loss and language development in deaf children.
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