Context: The recently concluded Summer Paralympics has shown that assistive technologies in combination with the will power of specially abled persons can be a game changer in ensuring a dignified life for them.
Relevance of the topic: Mains- Role of assistive technology in empowering PWDs and the inherent challenges.
What is Assistive Technology?
- Assistive technology is an umbrella term for assistive products, software and related services that enhance learning, working, mobility and routine functions for persons with disabilities (PWDs).
- Examples include: Hearing Aid, Wheelchair, Prosthetics body parts, Smart Walking sticks, Smart and AI-enabled assistive devices like screen readers etc.
Role of Assistive Technology:
It is crucial for enabling health, well-being, inclusion and participation for people with disabilities.
- Provide accessibility: Through assistive technologies, specially abled people get to lead life with greater independence and dignity. E.g., SmartCane (a mobility aid for the visually impaired).
- Support Education and Livelihood: ATs empower individuals to continue education, engage in employment and earn a livelihood. E.g., TacRead (an affordable digital text reader).
- Enable full-participation in society: From advanced prosthetics to precision tools, ATs provide PWDs the necessary support for their fullest integration in society and push them past their boundaries. E.g., Prosthetics for athletes to participate in Paralympics.
Schemes launched by the Government:
- Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) to assist the disabled persons in procuring suitable, durable, scientifically-manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances. Provides motorised tricycles and wheelchairs for people with severe disabilities, among other aids.
- Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released the National List of Essential Assistive Products, thus standardising and improving access to AT across India.
- BIRAC-Social Alpha Quest for Assistive Technologies and the Attvaran India Accelerator play a vital role by supporting startups focused on AT solutions. E.g., interactive learning app for students with learning disabilities.
- Public launch of Assistive Devices at IIT Delhi’s National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies.
- Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan): To provide universal accessibility to persons with disabilities. It focuses on developing an accessible physical environment, transportation system and Information & communication ecosystem.
Challenges with dissemination of Assistive Technology:
- Lack of Funding: Many many promising innovations struggling to secure funding.
- Lack of Inclusivity: The access to ATs is largely confined to urban areas, thereby generating a regional inequality in its access. The World Health Organisation reports that globally, 90% of persons with disabilities lack access to AT.
- Lack of Affordability: The ATs come with a lot of cost attached to the research and innovation that has gone into its development. Hence, income and wealth inequality manifest in terms of lack of access to ATs for poor people.
- Poor R&D ecosystem in India: The overall investment in the R & D sector in India is just around 0.68% of GDP. Even this small chunk of investment is concentrated majorly in defence and space sectors, which leaves little amount for investing in ATs.
Way Forward:
- Efficient implementation of accessibility schemes like Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / Fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP) & Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan.
- Subsidised and DBT mechanisms to ensure the outreach and affordability to different sections of society.
- Provide investment to start-ups to design affordable customised, user-centric designs that empower disabled individuals and communities.
Conclusion: While India has done tremendous work to close the gap, there is an increasing need for such technology given the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases and injuries. Universal access to such technology must become a cornerstone of an inclusive healthcare system.