Usage, Unmet Needs, Barriers, and Satisfaction With Accessing Assistive Technology Among Persons With Disabilities:...

This study aimed to estimate usage, unmet needs, barriers, and satisfaction related to access to assistive technology (AT) among outpatients at a tertiary care hospital in North India.

This single-center, prospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the outpatient departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India. Data were collected using the World Health Organization's (WHO) rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) tool. Participants were recruited consecutively from the respective outpatient departments, using population-proportion sampling to ensure adequate representation.

A total of 550 patients were surveyed. The need for AT was identified in 536 participants, with a mean age of 38.83 ± 14.69 years. Unmet AT needs were significantly higher among participants from lower socioeconomic status compared to those from upper socioeconomic status (chi-square (χ²) = 12.13, p < 0.001), among youth and middle-aged adults (18-59 years) compared to elderly participants (>60 years) (χ² = 21.56, p < 0.001), and among the working population compared to non-working participants (χ² = 9.88, p < 0.001). No statistically significant association was observed between AT need and unmet need with gender, educational status, area of residence, or severity of difficulty/functional limitation.

This study demonstrates substantial unmet needs for AT, driven by socioeconomic disparities, affordability barriers, and limited access. Strengthening awareness, expanding equitable national coverage of assistive products, and implementing standardized assessment tools such as the WHO's rapid rATA are essential to bridging the gap between demand and availability. These measures are critical to improving access to AT for individuals with disabilities and functional impairments.