Abstract
Increased awareness, interest and use of assistive technology (AT) presents substantial opportunities for many citizens to become, or continue being, meaningful participants in society. However, there is a significant shortfall between the need for and provision of AT, and this is patterned by a range of social, demographic and structural factors. To seize the opportunity that assistive technology offers, regional, national and sub-national assistive technology policies are urgently required. This paper was developed for and through discussion at the Global Research, Innovation and Education on Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit; organized under the auspices of the World Health Organization’s Global Collaboration on Assistive Technology (GATE) program. It outlines some of the key principles that AT polices should address and recognizes that AT policy should be tailored to the realities of the contexts and resources available. AT policy should be developed as a part of the evolution of related policy across a number of different sectors and should have clear and direct links to AT as mediators and moderators for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The consultation process, development and implementation of policy should be fully inclusive of AT users, and their representative organizations, be across the lifespan, and imbued with a strong systems-thinking ethos. Six barriers are identified which funnel and diminish access to AT and are addressed systematically within this paper. We illustrate an example of good practice through a case study of AT services in Norway, and we note the challenges experienced in less well-resourced settings. A number of economic factors relating to AT and economic arguments for promoting AT use are also discussed. To address policy-development the importance of active citizenship and advocacy, the need to find mechanisms to scale up good community practices to a higher level, and the importance of political engagement for the policy process, are highlighted. Policy should be evidence-informed and allowed for evidence-making; however, it is important to account for other factors within the given context in order for policy to be practical, authentic and actionable.Implications for RehabilitationThe development of policy in the area of asssitive technology is important to provide an overarching vision and outline resourcing priorities.This paper identifies some of the key themes that should be addressed when developing or revising assistive technology policy.Each country should establish a National Assistive Technology policy and develop a theory of change for its implementation.
Highlights
The aim of this position paper is to outline a broad framework for discussing the principles that should underlie assistive technology policies for application nationally or internationally
We have found that policy development in such contexts – and often in higher-income contexts too – frequently excludes its intended beneficiaries, and may be undertaken by consultants unfamiliar with the country in question, and with reference points related to contexts with much greater resources
Market shaping in the assistive technology context refers to engaging market factors with social equity; balancing these to allow genuine need due to impairment to develop into reliable demand for assistive products, and for affordable and quality supply to embrace social gain, as well as financial profitability [61]
Summary
The aim of this position paper is to outline a broad framework for discussing the principles that should underlie assistive technology policies for application nationally or internationally. Articles 4 and 26 of the Convention make it clear that governments are responsible to ensure that appropriate assistive technology is available and affordable and that provision is made for users to be trained to use assistive products [29,31] Both the South African National Departments of Health and Social Development have drawn from the CRPD to develop the white paper on disability and rehabilitation framework strategy. Market shaping in the assistive technology context refers to engaging market factors with social equity; balancing these to allow genuine need due to impairment to develop into reliable demand for assistive products, and for affordable and quality supply to embrace social gain, as well as financial profitability [61] Another relevant policy issue is that many assistive technology products are viewed by States as medical devices and are subject to rigorous legislative requirements or subject to particular standards (for instance, as approved by the International Standards Organization, ISO). Some elements of this work will require such advocates to be supported by, or undertake, a detailed political economy analysis of factors likely to propel change in the desired direction, and those likely to impede it
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