Re-thinking assistive technology service delivery models in the light of the UN convention

Abstract

This paper offers some reflections on key concepts to be considered when developing policies related to assistive technology provision in the light of the UN Convention. The starting point is the Position Paper issued by AAATE and EASTIN in 2012, which defines the mission of a service delivery system (SDS) as “ensuring that all people with disabilities can access appropriate assistive solutions that are able to support autonomy in their life environment”. From the organizational viewpoint, we can identify three main SDS models: the “medical model”, the “social model” and the “consumer model”. A reasonable criterion for establishing a boundary between products that require medical models and those that don’t is that of clinical risk. The more the system moves from a medical to a social or consumer model, the more should it be based on user empowerment approaches. The GATE initiative of the World Health Organization and some national policies (such as the Australian NDIS assistive technology strategy) are firmly built upon user empowerment approaches. End-users education as well as the availability of “super partes” assistive technology information (i.e. independent of commercial interest) also plays a fundamental role in user empowerment. The paper offers a quick survey of the main information systems available today worldwide, and presents the latest achievement of today’s major information resource, the European Assistive Technology Information Network.