Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed significant challenges to users of assistive technology (AT). Three key issues emerged from a series of structured qualitative interviews with 35 AT users in six low-and middle-income countries. These were (1) access to information about COVID-19 and available supports and policies, (2) insufficiency of the government response to meet the needs of AT users, and (3) the response of civil society which partially offset the gap in government response. AT users noted the need for better communication, improved planning for the delivery and mainte-nance of AT during times of crisis, and higher-quality standards to ensure the availability of appropriate technology.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 12031 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 22 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2021 |
Keywords
- Assistive products
- Assistive technology
- COVID-19
- Disability
- Health systems
- Policy
- Service provision