UN report: many people cannot access assistive technology ^{CEFR B2}

The World Health Organization and UNICEF launched a UN report on 16 May showing that almost one billion children and adults with disabilities, and older people, are unable to access the assistive technology they need. Access to devices such as glasses, hearing aids and mobility or communication tools can be as low as three per cent in some low- and middle-income countries, the report says.

Authors warn that the need will grow: about 2.5 billion people need one or more assistive products today and more than 3.5 billion will need them by 2050 because of population ageing and the rise in non-communicable diseases. The report is the first global snapshot of need and access and aims to identify where gaps are largest.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is quoted saying that denying people access to these life-changing tools is both a human rights infringement and economically short-sighted. The report calls on governments, industry and civil society to fund and prioritise access and to include assistive products in universal health coverage.

Personal stories in the report show the human cost. Almah Kuambu lost a lower limb at 11 and waited nearly a year for a prosthetic that transformed her life; Anna Kwemeling, 39, lost her leg seven years ago, left her bank job and had to save for travel and accommodation to reach services in Port Moresby. UNICEF notes there are 240 million children living with one or more disabilities, and Rosangela Berman-Bieler says stigma among peers and non-inclusive school settings block children from using assistive technology.

• The report notes practical barriers: long travel distances and high costs.
• Around two-thirds of people with assistive products reported making out-of-pocket payments.
• Experts urge a people-centred, rights-based approach and use of the rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) tool to identify unmet needs and scale fit-for-purpose services.