1) Evidence is vital to determine barriers in accessing rehabilitation and Assistive technology. Some strategies to gather evidence in this regard could be by conducting survey, research with service users, service providers, caregivers to get data/information.
In Nepal, a nationwide population-based household survey was conducted from 7 December 2021 to 27 December 2021 using the WHO rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) questionnaire. Key findings related to barriers in accessing assistive technology were-
Barriers to access AT by sex:
-Among the male participants who had unmet needs of AT, majority of them reported lack of support (44.6%) as the reason for not having the product needed followed by unaffordability (36.2%).
– Among the female participants who had unmet needs of AT, majority of them reported lack of time (44.3%) as the reason for not having the product needed followed by unaffordability (41.2%).
Barriers to access AT by age groups:
Among <5years age group participants who had unmet needs of AT, cent percent of them reported unsuitability of AT as the reasons for not having AT.
-Among participants who were between 5-17 years and who had unmet needs of AT, majority of them (82.8%) reported unaffordability as the reasons for not having AT
-Among participants who were between 18-65 years and who had unmet needs of AT, majority of them (41%) reported lack of time as the reasons for not having AT
-Among participants who were >65 years and who had unmet needs of AT, nearly half of them (49.7%) reported unaffordability as the reasons for not having AT