Establishing a country’s readiness to provide assistive technology

The assistive technology capacity assessment (ATA-C) is a system-level tool used to understand a country’s capacity to finance, regulate, procure, and provide assistive technology. 
ATA-C can be used to: 
  1. Raise awareness: To increase understanding of the situation in a country or region with regard to financing, regulating, procuring, and providing assistive technology. 
  2. Inform policy and program design: Identify key strengths, gaps, and opportunities to inform decision-making. 
  3. Monitor and evaluate: Monitor and evaluate the assistive technology situation in a country over time. 

The process of ATA-C implementation can also serve to bring diverse stakeholders together and build momentum for action toward improving access to assistive technology.

ATA-C development

The tool was developed by WHO in collaboration with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and with the support of many other in-country partners. Its development was informed by implementation in Bahrain, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Liberia, Malawi, Mongolia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Vietnam. The tool development and country assessments were funded by UK aid under the AT2030 programme led by the Global Disability Innovation Hub, with contributions from the United States Agency for International Development.

Implementation

ATA-C is intended to be implemented by a team with experience in assistive technology in collaboration with relevant ministries and stakeholders. 
Key steps to implement ATA-C include conducting desktop research, identifying and engaging stakeholders; adapting, translating, and testing ATA-C questions for the local context; data collection, analysis, and reporting; and consensus building and identifying concrete next steps to improve access.
ATA-C has been used in 18 countries so far. 
ATA-C can be implemented as a standalone tool or complemented by a household survey on the population’s need for assistive technology using the WHO rATA tool. The combined information on a population’s need and the existing capacity to meet that need can lead to better policy and programme design, particularly for procurement and service provision requirements.

ATA-C tool

The ATA-C tool guides countries through the process of assessing assistive technology capacity at the national or subnational level. The implementation team coordinates the assessment, identification, and interview of assistive technology stakeholders using the model ATA-C questionnaires (available in Annex A of the implementation manual). 

The information collected, together with the materials from desktop research, is processed using the model data consolidation spreadsheet and summarized in a comprehensive report. Key findings are presented back to stakeholders, usually through a stakeholder workshop, and a joint action plan is developed. The implementation manual explains each step:

Disclaimer

The assistive technology capacity assessment (ATA-C) has been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is made available to authorized users.

You may use, reproduce, adapt, and/or translate ATA-C for non-commercial purposes, subject to the following conditions: 

  • Requests for permission to reproduce, adapt, and/or translate ATA-C should be addressed to the WHO Access to Assistive Technology Team in the Medicines and Health Products Division (e-mail: assistivetechnology@who.int). 
  • When planning to use ATA-C, inform the relevant WHO Country Office and/or the WHO Access to Assistive Technology Team (e-mail: assistivetechnology@who.int ). 
  • When translating ATA-C, add the following disclaimer along with the suggested citation: “This translation was not created by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO is not responsible for the content or the accuracy of this translation. The original English edition shall be the binding and authentic edition”. 
  • You may distribute ATA-C and your adaptation or translation of ATA-C to select third parties to conduct your ATA-C assessment. 
  • You may publish any results or findings of your ATA-C assessment on your website or in a scientific journal. 
  • You hereby grant WHO a non-exclusive license to use and reproduce your adaptation or translation of ATA-C, to distribute the adaptation or translation to users of the ATA-C portal, and to authorize users to use the adaptation or translation in their own countries, subject to appropriate attribution of the source. 
  • You agree that your adaptation or translation of the ATA-C will not be sold or used in conjunction with the promotion of commercial products and services. 
  • You agree that neither the WHO logo nor the WHO emblem will be displayed on the adaptation or translation of ATA-C. There should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organization, product, or service. 

All reasonable precautions have been taken by WHO to verify the information contained in ATA-C, however, ATA-C is being distributed without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The responsibility for the interpretation and use of the material, including its adaptations and translations, lies with the reader. In no event shall WHO be liable for damages arising from its use.