The case for investing in assistive technology
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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.