KUALA LUMPUR – All related stakeholders should together develop a roadmap with concrete actions in order to improve access to assistive technology which can benefit a wide range of people.
Speaking at the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Halifax, Canada, Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi said improving access to assistive technology can ensure that those in need are supported in a timely, appropriate and affordable manner, are able to live healthier and become more productive.
“Implementing assistive technology within universal health coverage and strengthening provision through primary health care would help to foster healthier populations.
“It can also nurture future generations that can participate and contribute significantly in education, labour market and civil society.
“Investing in access to assistive technology can strengthen the health system by improving outcomes, preventing secondary conditions, and reducing caregiver costs,” she said.
Assistive technology can include mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software and peripherals that assist persons with disabilities (PwD) in accessing computers or other information technologies.
Ras Adiba said everyone should focus on assistive technologies such as for motor impairments, optical character recognition software, Braille display and augmentative and alternative communication tools to help create a better user experience for users.
It is essential to involve assistive technology users – PwDs, older people, people with chronic conditions and their families − in its policy-making and implementation process, she said.
The OKU Sentral Association president said the government should show leadership in demonstrating how assistive technology could help disabled employees work and progress in their careers in much the same way as their non-disabled colleagues.
Thus, she suggested that the civil service department create a central standard for accessible systems in government departments to enable it to be a model Disability Confident workplace.
Ras Adiba also shared some efforts by Malaysian companies to provide assistive technologies for PwDs, namely Glomas Hitec Medic, Lend A Hand and SPEAK MODalities.
She suggested a few actions to improve access to assistive technology such as recognising assistive technology as essential health products and services that are an integral component of universal health coverage; developing a national priority assistive products list and training more community-level workforce through World Health Organisation’s Training in Assistive Products online training modules. – Bernama, August 25, 2022
