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The case for investing in assistive technology

ATscale
November 2020

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In this new report, ATscale describes the enormous gains that access to assistive technology (AT) can have in health, for the community and the economy. The figures are dramatic: investment in the provision of four assistive products - hearing aids, prostheses, eyeglasses, and wheelchairs - will result in a return on investment of 9:1.

Having access to AT can make the difference between failure or success in school, between a job or unemployment, between a life of opportunity or a life of dependency. An example: for a child in a low- or middle-income country, access to AT can make a difference of $100,000 in lifetime income.

Altogether, providing AT to all who need it would yield more than USD 10 trillion in economic benefits over the next 55 years.

Investing in AT both has a transformative impact on people’s wellbeing and makes sound economic sense for funders and governments. 

Hearing Aids Product Narrative: A market landscape and strategic approach to increasing access to hearing aids and related services in Low and Middle Income Countries

SAVAGE, Margaret
CLINTON HEALTH ACCESS INITIATIVE
December 2019

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This product narrative was developed to support the identification of activities that will increase and sustain access to appropriate, affordable hearing aids

Five strategic objectives (SO) that can strengthen the market in both the near and longer-term are identified 

Wheelchair Product Narrative: A market landscape and strategic approach to increasing access to wheelchairs and related services in Low and Middle Income Countries

SAVAGE, Margaret
CLINTON HEALTH ACCESS INITIATIVE
August 2019

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This product narrative was developed to support identification of activities that will increase and sustain access to appropriate, affordable wheelchairs. The market landscape, context, assessment and challenges is described. Four strategic approaches to market shaping are made.

Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action: Health and HIV/AIDS

DINSMORE, Christine
October 2017

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This guidance is designed for UNICEF field staff – including humanitarian field officers, coordinators, specialist and advisors – as well as UNICEF’s partners and others involved in humanitarian work. It provides practical tips and offers entry points for making sure that humanitarian action takes children with disabilities into account. There are 5 other associated guidelines. 

Chapters include: 

impact of emergiencies on health of children and adolescents with disabilities
why children and adolescents with disabilities are excluded health and HIV/AIDS interventions
frameworks and approaches
programmatic actions
preparedness
response and early recovery
recovery and reconstruction
practical tips

Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action: Education

DINSMORE, Christine
Ed
October 2017

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This guidance is designed for UNICEF field staff – including humanitarian field officers, coordinators, specialist and advisors – as well as UNICEF’s partners and others involved in humanitarian work. It provides practical tips and offers entry points for making sure that humanitarian action takes children with disabilities into account. There are 5 other associated guidelines. 

Chapters include: 

  • impact of emergiencies on the education of children and adolescents with disabilities
  • why children and adolescents with disabilities are excluded from education interventions
  • frameworks and approaches
  • programmatic actions
  • preparedness
  • response and early recovery
  • recovery and reconstruction
  • practical tips
  • accessible infrastructure tips

Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action: Child protection

DINSMORE, Christine
Ed
September 2017

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This guidance is designed for UNICEF field staff – including humanitarian field officers, coordinators, specialist and advisors – as well as UNICEF’s partners and others involved in humanitarian work. It provides practical tips and offers entry points for making sure that humanitarian action takes children with disabilities into account. There are 5 other associated guidelines. 

Chapters include: 

  • impact of emergiencies on the protection of children and adolescents with disabilities
  • why children and adolescents with disabilities are excluded from child protection interventions
  • frameworks and approaches
  • programmatic actions
  • preparedness
  • response and early recovery
  • recovery and reconstruction
  • practical tips
  • accessible infrastructure tips

 

 

Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action

UNICEF
July 2017

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"The purpose of Including Children with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action is to strengthen the inclusion of children and women with disabilities, and their families, in emergency preparedness, response and early recovery, and recovery and reconstruction. This series of booklets provides insight into the situation of children with disabilities in humanitarian contexts, highlights the ways in which they are excluded from humanitarian action, and offers practical actions and tips to better include children and adolescents with disabilities in all stages of humanitarian action. The booklets were created in response to UNICEF colleagues in the field expressing a need for a practical resource to guide their work. The information and recommendations are based on evidence and good practices gathered from literature and field staff experiences. The six booklets on how to include children and adolescents with disabilities in humanitarian programmes are as follows: 1) general guidance; 2) child protection; 3) education; 4) health and HIV/AIDS; 5) nutrition; 6) water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)".

General guidance available July 2017. Others to follow.

In addition to the PDF versions in English, Arabic and French, the guidance is also available in a range of accessible formats, including EPUB, a Braille-ready file and accessible HTML formats. 

The guidance was developed in collaboration with Handicap International.

Including children with disabilities in humanitarian action: WASH

DINSMORE, Christine
Ed
June 2017

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This guidance is designed for UNICEF field staff – including humanitarian field officers, coordinators, specialist and advisors – as well as UNICEF’s partners and others involved in humanitarian work. It provides practical tips and offers entry points for making sure that humanitarian action takes children with disabilities into account. There are 5 other associated guidelines. 

Chapters include: 

  • impact of emergiencies on children and adolescents with disabilities access to WASH
  • why children and adolescents with disabilities are excluded from WASH interventions
  • frameworks and approaches
  • programmatic actions
  • preparedness
  • response and early recovery
  • recovery and reconstruction
  • practical tips
  • accessible infrastructure tips

The state of the world’s children 2013 : children with disabilities

THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)
May 2013

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This report examines "the barriers from inaccessible buildings to dismissive attitudes, from invisibility in official statistics to vicious discrimination - that deprive children with disabilities of their rights and keep them from participating fully in society. The report also lays out some of the key elements of inclusive societies that respect and protect the rights of all children, regardless of disability, and progress in helping all children to flourish and make their contribution to the world"

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