Karki, J., Rushton, S. orcid.org/0000-0003-1055-9871, Bhattarai, S. et al. (1 more author) (2021) Access to assistive technology for persons with disabilities: a critical review from Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 18 (1). pp. 8-16. ISSN 1748-3107
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse and critically reflect on access to Assistive Technology (AT) for persons with disabilities (PWD) in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. This analysis aims to guide the development of a contextualised generic AT service delivery model suitable for these countries, based on the best practices identified.
Materials and methods
This paper is based on a comprehensive study conducted in Nepal, India and Bangladesh, observing mobility and hearing-related AT service delivery centres run by the government, as well as private and nongovernmental organisations, and interviews with key informants: policymakers (5), AT service providers (20) and AT service users (20) between December 2019 to February 2020. A descriptive, qualitative exploratory study design was followed. A quality assessment framework was used to structure the analysis and interpret the findings.
Results
AT service provisions are poorly developed in all three countries. On all quality indicators assessed, the systems show major weaknesses. AT users have very limited awareness about their rights to these services and the availability of AT services, the range of services available is very limited, and eligibility is dependent on medical criteria related to visible and severe disabilities.
Conclusions
Lack of accessibility, eligibility, reachability and affordability are the main barriers to access AT services for PWD in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Increased community level awareness, increased Government funding and a community based, medically informed flexible social model of AT services is a way forward to ensure access to AT services for PWD in these countries.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
Increased community awareness is necessary to increase access to Assistive Technology Services for Persons with Disabilities.
Increased and flexible funding from the Government and philanthropists will improve rehabilitation.
Establishment of community based Assistive Technology Services centres will increase access and improve rehabilitation.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Disability; assistive technology; qualitative research; access to assistive technology |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Politics and International Relations (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 03 Mar 2021 11:46 |
Last Modified: | 19 Jun 2024 14:48 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/17483107.2021.1892843 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:171750 |