Assistive technology can transform lives while delivering significant economic returns. This report from ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, makes the case for expanding access to essential products such as hearing aids, prostheses, eyeglasses, and wheelchairs.

Nearly one billion people in low- and middle-income countries need one or more of these products, yet only around 10% have access to them. The report estimates that investing in these four assistive products could generate a 9:1 return on investment, while providing more than one billion additional years of quality-adjusted life. Beyond health and wellbeing, assistive technology can help children stay in school, enable adults to work and travel, and reduce isolation. Ensuring access for those who need it could generate more than US$10 trillion in economic benefits over 55 years.

The report makes a clear case for treating assistive technology not only as a health intervention, but as an investment in human potential, inclusion, and economic participation.

Read the full report here.