A scoping review of gendered barriers and facilitators of access and use of assistive technology

Purpose

A disparity exists in the access and use of assistive technology (AT), with women exhibiting lower rates of access compared to men, despite a higher reported prevalence of disability. To address these gendered inequities in AT, a comprehensive understanding of the influence of sex and gender on AT utilisation, access pathways, and associated perceptions is crucial.

Methods

This scoping review aimed to synthesise existing evidence concerning how sex and gender affect access, use, and attitudes towards AT. A systematic search across seven databases yielded 120 relevant publications.

Results

The identified gendered barriers and facilitators influencing AT engagement are discussed through the lens of the World Health Organization’s 5 “P” framework of AT, encompassing policy, provision, product, personnel, and people. Notably, the reviewed studies predominantly operationalised gender within a binary male/female framework. Across seventy-three distinct analyses examining AT use and related factors, a significant association with gender and/or sex was observed. While findings indicated a higher rate of assistive product usage among women, this group also reported a greater degree of unmet need.

Conclusions

Gender-specific facilitators of AT use identified in the literature include tailored clinical counselling approaches, aesthetically considerate product design aligning with diverse gender expressions, gender-adapted training methodologies, and the adoption of patient-centric care models.

Future research should consider the nuanced influence of sex and gender on user outcomes, and where data allow, these investigations should include other factors that interact with sex and gender to shape AT access, including age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and citizenship status.