Understanding the Impact of Assistive Technology on Users’ Lives in England: A Capability Approach

In 2023, GDI Hub and the UK Disability Unit conducted a Country Capacity Assessment (CCA) of assistive technology (AT) in England, using the World Health Organization’s Assistive Technology Assessment (ATA) toolkit.

One key finding from this assessment was that 83% of disabled people reported their assistive products to be “very important” at all times. This raises an essential question: what does “very important” actually mean in the context of people’s daily lives?

To answer this, we moved beyond conventional measures focused on clinical outcomes or device functionality. Instead, we examined the impact of AT from the perspective of its users. Participants described how assistive technologies supported a wide range of day-to-day functions, such as mobility, communication, and personal routine, and how they enabled broader outcomes, including greater autonomy, wellbeing, access to work and learning, and social participation.

Users also spoke about the deeper personal significance of AT, highlighting how it contributed to their sense of identity, confidence, and peace of mind. At the same time, many shared frustrations about systemic challenges, such as long wait times, service fragmentation, and barriers to access.

These findings underscore the importance of placing lived experience at the center of how we define and measure the impact of assistive technology.