Assistive Technology (AT) is crucial to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are fulfilled. 2.5 billion people worldwide would benefit from having access to AT. However, AT provision remains severely underfunded – especially in low- and middle-income countries.
To provide insight into how this gap can be filled, the Atlas Alliance had the pleasure of co-hosting an event of Norwegian stakeholders interested in assistive technology from an African and Kenyan perspective, with Norad and Innovation Norway.
After a short welcome by Marit Sørheim of the Atlas Alliance, we were honored to hear from Therese Pankratov from Innovation Norway’s Humanitarian Innovation Program, where AT4D has been a grantee in a project with UNICEF, increasing access to AT for refugees with disabilities. One thing she said really stuck with the audience:
Complex problems require collective capacity.
From Norad, we were joined by Mehraz Rafat from the private sector development arm, which also has partnered with AT4D. Mehraz shared with us how Bernard’s vision really resonated with him and with Norad: Persons with disabilities are not a niche market, but 2.5 billion people ready to buy and invest.
Bernard Chiira and Douglas Injugu then told us the story of AT4D which, as they say, “works at the intersection of disability rights, innovation, and entrepreneurship.” They support local innovators and build ecosystems for different stakeholders to come together. So far, they have supported 88 startups in 11 countries and recently entered into a partnership with the Judith Neilson Foundation to be able to reach even more entrepreneurs. They particularly support entrepreneurs with disabilities, but also those without. To make sure that innovations they support are actually something that disabled people need and want, they put on “Live Labs” where the budding entrepreneurs can meet different persons with disabilities and test their ideas.
Thank you to Norad, Innovation Norway, all the speakers, and everyone who took the time to listen, share, and discuss.
