Page 95 - Handbook of Electronic Assistive Technology

82 HANDBOOK OF ELECTRONIC ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

What Is Assistive Technology?

Several definitions exist for the term assistive technology (AT); however, a commonly used
statement is that listed in the United States Assistive Technology Act (1998), which states
that AT refers to any ‘product, device, or equipment, whether acquired commercially,
modified or customized, that is used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional
capabilities of individuals with disabilities’. Electronic assistive technology (EAT) is there-
fore a subset of this umbrella term. This chapter will cover essential considerations when
assessing and providing AT to clients/customers/users.

The Growing Need for Assistive Technology

Many might think of having ‘a disability’ as a life experience they will never encounter and
therefore will never have a need for AT. However, when considering the changing demo-
graphics of the United Kingdom it seems that this is not such a far-fetched possibility.
The population in the United Kingdom is getting older with 18% aged 65 and over and
1
2.4% aged 85 and over. As a result of the ageing population the old age dependency ratio
(OADR) is increasing. The OADR is the number of people over 65 years old for every 1000
people aged between 16 and 64 years old – in mid-2016 the United Kingdom’s OADR was
285. This means the number of people to physically care or support the ageing population
is decreasing. The number of people over 65 is projected to continue to grow to nearly
a quarter of the population by 2046. Similar changes are taking place across the world.
Therefore there is an increasing role for AT to support and enable people to remain inde-
pendent in their own home.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) requires govern-
ments to meet the AT needs of citizens. The World Report on Disability (World Health
Organisation, 2011) estimates that 15% of the world’s population lives with some form
of disability. The report also provides evidence of the unmet global need for AT of all
varieties.
In 2013 at the General Assembly on Disability and Development, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) was requested to develop and coordinate a global initiative to sup-
port member states in realising their obligations toward increasing access to AT. In 2014
the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) in partnership with international
organisations, donor agencies, professional organisations, academia and user groups was
2
established. GATE has identified four key areas (‘four Ps’) to be addressed by member
states:

• Policy: assistive technology policy framework.
• Products: Priority Assistive Products List.

1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/
articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/july2017.
2 http://www.who.int/phi/implementation/assistive_technology/phi_gate/en/.