Enabling local provision of assistive products in rural South India: an organisational survey of needs, barriers, and facilitators

Abstract

Objective: Access to assistive products (APs) is essential to maximising function, participation, and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Challenges to AP access in low- and middle-income countries include stigma, costs, supply, and rehabilitation capacity gaps. This study aimed to examine AT access in the context of a low-resource setting in rural South India. Objectives were to examine rehabilitation professionals’ perceptions of AP needs, barriers and facilitators of AP provision, and AT knowledge.Methods: A descriptive study design with a 2-part online survey methodology was utilized. This study was conducted in April-September 2020 at a non-governmental organization (NGO) serving children and adults with disabilities in 3 districts of rural South India. Purposive sampling of NGO’s multidisciplinary rehabilitation professionals (N=62) was used. The survey was developed based on WHO’s Assistive Products List (APL). Barriers and facilitators were classified according to the principles of AT access. Analyses revealed acceptability, affordability, and availability as the top three barrier themes across disciplines, including poor acceptance by clients/families due to stigma, high AP costs, and a long waitlist for government-provided devices. Acceptability, affordability, and accessibility were the top three facilitator themes, including community awareness, availability of AP funding, client/family education, and AT service provision training.Impact: Our study identified key enabling strategies for AT access, aimed at reducing reported barriers. Enabling AP provision was determined to be multi-factorial, aimed at users/ families, service providers, organizations, communities, and policymakers. Local stakeholder groups are crucial to understanding challenges and opportunities to AP provision within a low-resource context.