Assistive technology during the covid-19 global pandemic: The roles of government and civil society in fulfilling the social contract

Daniel Mont, Natasha Layton, Louise Puli, Shivani Gupta, Abner Manlapaz, Kylie Shae, Emma Tebbutt, Irene Calvo, Mahpekay Sidiqy, Kudakwashe Dube, Ulamila Kacilala

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

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 languageEnglish
Article number12031
Number of pages15
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume18
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2021

Keywords

  • Assistive products
  • Assistive technology
  • COVID-19
  • Disability
  • Health systems
  • Policy
  • Service provision

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