On the Relation between Assistive Technology System Elements and Access to Assistive Products Based on 20 Country Surveys - Research Summary

About

This 2021 WHO-led study investigates global access to assistive technology (AT) following resolution WHA 71.8. Analysing data from 70 governments and 29 countries reveals significant disparities in coverage, with access rates ranging from under 3% to 90%. The findings emphasise the need for effective policies, adequate funding, and trained personnel to enhance equitable AT access.

Highlights

The results reveal significant disparities and challenges that must be addressed to improve equitable access worldwide. These findings include:

• Access disparities: AT access varies significantly, with rates ranging from <3% to 90% across countries.
• Limited services: Only 30% of countries in this study offer comprehensive AT services.
• Personnel shortage: Of these, just 10% have sufficient trained personnel.

Our findings highlight the need for further studies to evaluate the effectiveness of specific AT initiatives and improve access strategies.

Conclusion

The study findings have highlighted that geographic coverage of assistive technology services in all functional domains is an instrumental system element to achieve universal access to assistive technology.

However, it does not come without implementation of appropriate policies, sufficient funding, recruitment of adequately trained personnel and availability of the assistive products a population needs. From the perspective of access at the national level, the value of specific initiatives remains unclear and calls for further studies.