Assistive technology enables and promotes inclusion and participation, especially of persons with disability, ageing populations, and people with non-communicable diseases. Assistive products enable people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labour market, and civic life.

While supporting independence and well-being, these products can also help to prevent or reduce the effects of secondary health conditions, such as lower limb amputation in people with diabetes. They can also reduce the need and impact on carers and mitigate the need for formal health and support services. Moreover, access to appropriate assistive products can have a tremendous impact on community development and economic growth.

Despite the global need and recognized benefits of assistive products, access to assistive products remains limited. Addressing this unmet need is essential to progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The World Health Assembly resolution WHA71.8 “Improving access to assistive technology” mandates countries to develop, implement and strengthen policies and programmes to improve access to assistive technology as a move toward universal health coverage. The WHO Assistive Technology team has developed tools and actions to guide countries in building a people-centred assistive technology ecosystem through policy, products, provision and personnel.

Assistive technology data portal

• Assistive technology population access indicators, a population-based household survey that measures self-reported use, need, met need, and barriers to accessing assistive technology.
• Assistive technology progress indicators, a government survey measuring system preparedness in terms of governance; legislation; public budget; financing mechanisms; regulations and standards; collaborations and initiatives; service provision coverage; workforce availability; and training.

Assistive technology assessment (ATA) toolkit

WHO is developing the assistive technology assessment (ATA) toolkit to support countries to collect data on assistive technology.

The ATA toolkit will help countries to collect data to inform decisions for policy and programme design, raise awareness on the need and impact of assistive technology, and galvanize political support and resources for assistive technology.