Living Ethics Journal

By Ethan Bingemann.

There are an estimated 2.5 billion people globally in need of some form of assistive technology (AT). This figure is set to increase by an additional 1 billion people as global life expectancies increase and current populations age. Currently, about one in ten people in need of AT have access to what they require. This proportion is only likely to worsen if serious action is not taken.

This issue is especially prevalent in developing countries. People with serious disabilities are often not prioritized when nations are developing because they make up a minority of the population. This leaves people with disabilities underserved and opens them up to ableism. Additionally, developing countries do not have the infrastructure or development to produce assistive technology. With minimal investment in medical fields in these countries, this does not appear to change any time soon.

Despite having insurance, in numerous places, medical technology is frequently still too expensive. This leads to the argument that it is morally unfair to force people who suffer from a disability to pay a premium for health care resources. Individuals with disabilities frequently do not have the luxury of choice when it comes to their health conditions. This lack of choice emphasizes the moral necessity to ensure that healthcare systems are structured in a way that doesn’t penalize or discriminate against individuals based on their health status or disabilities in the way resources are distributed.

Rising obesity rates also greatly contribute to this issue. With people with disabilities having to pay 42% more on medical care, it is incredibly difficult to get requisite care. Not only this, but being overweight can worsen or create disability.

New technologies are being developed every day to assist those with disabilities. This includes custom 3d modeling and printing technologies for extremely personalized prosthetics that could be produced in much shorter times, personalized educational resources for people with intellectual or learning disabilities, and refreshable braille displays.

How can developed nations assist developing nations with access to assistive technology? What steps can be taken to put more emphasis on care for people with disabilities? How can nations address the high costs of assistive technologies? How can developing nations expand into developing assistive technology?

“Global Report on Assistive Technology”:

https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/354357/9789240049451-eng.pdf?sequence=1

 “Trends in the Relationships Between Obesity and Disability”:

https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/186/6/688/3806856

“World Health Organization: Assistive Technology”:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/assistive-technology