Met need of assistive products as proportion of need by gender

Assistive technology is an umbrella term for assistive products and their related systems and services. Assistive technology enables and promotes the inclusion, participation and engagement of persons with disabilities, ageing populations and people living with chronic conditions in the family, community and all areas of society, including the political, economic and social spheres.

Assistive products can enhance performance in all key functional domains such as cognition, communication, hearing, mobility, self-care and vision. They may be physical products such as wheelchairs, spectacles, hearing aids, prostheses, orthoses, walking aids or continence pads; or they may be digital and come in the form of software and apps that support communication, time management, monitoring, etc. They may also be adaptations to the physical environment, for example portable ramps or grab-rails.

Those who need assistive technology include, among others: people with disabilities; older people; people with communicable and noncommunicable diseases including neglected tropical diseases; people with mental health conditions; and people with gradual functional decline or loss of intrinsic capacity. The need for assistive technology also increases in most humanitarian crises.

Assistive technology is important across the lifespan. Access to assistive technology for children with disabilities is often the first step for childhood development, access to education, participation in sports and civic life, and getting ready for employment. Children with disabilities have additional challenges due to their growth, which require much more frequent adjustments or replacements of their assistive products. Along with existing functional difficulties, persons with disabilities will experience further challenges because of gradual functional decline in other functional domains as they get older. Access to assistive technology is a human right, and a precondition for equal opportunities and participation. While the need for it is rising, the majority of people who would benefit from it do not have sufficient access. Yet everyone is likely to need assistive technology during their lifetime, especially as they age.

For more information on assistive technology, its positive impact on people’s lives and how the WHO Regional Office for Europe is assisting Member States in improving access to assistive technology, please visit: https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/assistive-technology

Recalling that a majority of those who need assistive technology do not have access to it, and that this has a significant impact on the education, livelihood, health and well-being of individuals, and on families, communities and societies, Member States adopted a resolution on Improving access to assistive technology during the 71st World Health Assembly in May 2018 (71.8 WHA). Among others, the resolution requested WHO to prepare the Global report on access to assistive technology based on the best available scientific evidence and international experience and to submit progress reports to the World Health Assembly in 2022, 2026, and 2030 on progress made in the implementation of the resolution.

For the WHO / UNICEF Global report on assistive technology, please visit: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049451

The present resource combines two datasets informing access to assistive technology, both collected in 2021 and presented in the 2022 Global report on access to assistive technology: 1) system preparedness indicators measuring Member States’ progress in improving access to assistive technology and 2) population-based household national surveys using the rapid assistive technology assessment (rATA) questionnaire to collect self-reported data on population access to assistive technology.

1. System preparedness for providing assistive technology

WHO has developed 10 progress indicators to collect high-level resolution implementation status from the Member States. The progress indicators measure system preparedness for providing access to assistive technology in terms of: governance; legislation; public budget; financing mechanisms; regulations and standards; collaborations and initiatives; service provision coverage; workforce availability; and training. Focal points of the Member States Note: It is likely many sections of government and different Ministries play a key role in the assistive technology system within the country. It is important to get their involvement to get more complete information on the assistive technology system in the country. If needed, we also encourage you to reach out to assistive technology users’ representatives and organizations.

In April 2021, WHO called for all Member States to provide data for these progress indicators through an online survey. When providing data, focal points of the Member States were reminded that many sections of government and different Ministries play a key role in the assistive technology system. They were encouraged to involve their colleagues and to reach out to assistive technology users’ representatives and organizations as well as universities and educational institutions to obtain more complete information. By December 2021, 16 of the WHO Regional Office for Europe Member States had completed the survey through the focal points in ministries of health or other relevant ministries and/or government agencies. Participating Member States of the WHO European Region were Azerbaijan, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

For a description of the progress indicators to measure system preparedness for providing assistive technology, please visit: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MHP-HPS-ATM-2022.01

2. Population access to assistive technology

WHO has developed the rapid assistive technology assessment (rATA) questionnaire to collect self-reported data on access to assistive technology. The household survey covers six areas related to assistive products: use; source; funding; satisfaction; unmet need; and barriers to access. These areas also incorporate distance to source and suitability of assistive products for the environments in which they are used. In 2021, WHO supported seven Member States of the WHO European Region in implementing a population-based household national survey. Nationally representative sampling was planned in collaboration with national statistical agencies in every Member State except in Tajikistan, where the survey was subnational. The present resource reports on eighteen household survey indicators measuring population access to assistive technology. Participating Member States of the WHO European Region were Azerbaijan, Georgia, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Tajikistan and Ukraine. The survey results are reported in two ways: 1) for all assistive products and 2) for all assistive products except spectacles, given that spectacles are by far the most commonly used assistive product.

For a description of the rapid assistive technology assessment household survey to measure population access to assistive technology, please visit: https://www.who.int/tools/ata-toolkit/rata

Select an indicator to explore the data. System preparedness for providing assistive technology indicators are displayed as maps of the WHO European Region. Hover over the map for more information. A stacked bar chart that summarises the 10 indicators across all 16 participating Member States. Population access to assistive technology indicators are displayed as bar charts. Hover over the bar charts for more information. The tabs “Graph” and “Table” provide further options and information for exploring the data. Graphs can be downloaded as images with different file formats available using the triple bar icon in the top right corner of the graph. Furthermore, data can be exported in CVS or Excel file format.

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