ACAT May 2021 Newsletter
A f r i c a n C o m m u n i t y o n A s s i s t i v e t e c h n o l o g y
ACAT promotes a systems strengthening approach to equitable access to and use of AT in Africa.
In this issue we reference the launch of the WHO Assistive Products Specifications, the World Hearing
Report and other global resources which can shape systems from the top.
We include examples of how tools, such as the Assistive Technology Capacity Assessment Tool are being used to drive change in Liberia, Malawi, Ethiopia and Kenya. We show how ACAT members informed global health professionals about AT as a social determinant of health, and we share a story from Kenya to demonstrate how AT needs change
over the life course.
Finally, we include an abstract by a collaboration of ACAT members on the development of a tool for people with Deafblindness in the SADC region to measure their own AT outcomes. Together with links to recent research, projects and conferences we hope this newsletter is a good reminder for why a systems strengthening lens is needed to truly impact the lives of people, like you and me, who currently or may some time in the future need AT.
