DR. SOUVIK MANNA

Dr. SURAJ SINGH SENJAM, Dr.Vivek Gupta, Dr. NUPUR GUPTA

Abstract

WHO launched in May 2016 the first Priority APL for people with disabilities (PwDs) to be able to live a healthy, productive and dignified life. Some examples of Assistive Technologies (AT) for PwDs include mobility aids, such as white cane, hearing aids, cognitive aids, including computer software and hardware. A cross-sectional study was done among 2000 adults aged ≥ 18 years in Delhi using WHO- MDS brief version for knowing usage and unmet need for ATs. A clinical examination to assess disability was also done including visual acuity examination, hearing assessment and locomotor assessment. Prevalence of visual impairment was 10.6%. Around 27.5% were using any type of ATs out of which 25.5% were using spectacles. The unmet need for spectacles was 15.2% and was highest for orthopedic ATs. Out of the remaining 72.4% of the participants who were not using any ATs, 14.9% mentioned that they had an unmet need for ATs. Our study highlights the poor access to ATs in India.

Full Text