ABSTRACT
A paediatric Assistive Technology (AT) Provision Program was implemented by a non-governmental rehabilitation facility in rural South India to support rehabilitation providers in providing needed AT access for children with disabilities. Capacity-building measures for providers and other supports based on the AT needs, barriers, and facilitators to AT access were implemented that aligned with the AT global report for low-middle income countries (LMIC). This study explores how the initiatives from the AT Provision Program have influenced the perspectives of rehabilitation providers on AT access.Using a qualitative design eight paediatric rehabilitation providers were purposively sampled for virtual semi-structured interviews. Findings were analysed using thematic analysis.Six overarching themes were identified: (1) Stigma associated with AT use, (2) Organisational response to changing needs, (3) Financial factors related to family socioeconomic status and the organisation providing AT services, (4) Inequity of AT service access in rural areas, (5) Provider AT awareness and confidence and, (6) Quality assurance. Rehabilitation providers' experiences informed future AT capacity-building strategies within a low-resource context. Our findings provide valuable insights for the development of comprehensive AT Provision Program initiatives to provide AT access for children with disabilities in LMIC settings.
The perspectives of rehabilitation providers in low- and middle-income countries are important to expand the limited research in understanding Assistive Technology (AT) provision in these countries to advance program development and planning.Organized access to AT in rural communities, particularly in developing countries such as India, enables children with disabilities to improve their participation in social, recreational, and educational opportunities.Exploring rehabilitation providers' perspectives gives insight into barriers and opportunities surrounding AT access within their cultural context, and how it influences their clinical practice.Integrating the AT Access Principle framework from the 2022 WHO-UNICEF Global Report on AT, this study evaluates the current AT systems in rural south India and can further inform strategic planning in low-middle income countries to mitigate access barriers encountered along the AT access pathway.
