Organizations
Assistive technology organizations
Globally, many organizations contribute to expanding access to quality assistive technology.
This page highlights a selection of key organizations that:
- Fund or implement assistive technology programmes
- Serve as member organizations or professional associations, or
- Provide training resources for assistive technology globally
This is not an exhaustive list of all organizations involved in assistive technology.
| Name of Organization | Role (As per organization's own description) | Website Link |
|---|---|---|
| The Fred Hollows Foundation |
The Fred Hollows Foundation is an international development organisation with a very clear purpose: to make sure everyone, whether they’re rich or poor, has access to high quality, affordable eye health care. |
https://www.hollows.org/ |
| The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) |
The International Committee of the Red Cross is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance. The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. |
https://www.icrc.org/en/what-we-do/physical-rehabilitation |
| The International Labour Organization (ILO) |
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace. |
https://www.ilo.org/ |
| The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) |
The UN Refugee Agency works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution or war at home. |
https://www.unhcr.org/ |
| UN Women |
UN Women is the UN organization delivering programmes, policies and standards that uphold women’s human rights and ensure that every woman and girl lives up to her full potential. |
https://www.unwomen.org/ |
| United Nations Development programme (UNDP) |
UNDP is the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. UNDP helps countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. |
https://www.undp.org/ |
| United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) |
United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) is a UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. UNICEF works to ensure that high-quality and affordable assistive technologies are available for children and supports global efforts in training, procurement, and guidance on their use. |
https://www.unicef.org/supply/assistive-technologies |
| United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) |
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has a big ambition: to help decision makers across the globe better understand and act on risk. |
https://www.undrr.org/ |
| World Bank |
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development. |
https://www.worldbank.org/ |
| World Federation of the Deaf (WDF) |
The WFD is an international non-governmental organisation representing and advocating for the human rights of approximately 70 million deaf people worldwide. The organisation promotes inclusive communication, access to sign languages, and equitable access to assistive technologies such as hearing devices, captioning, and communication platforms. WFD works through advocacy, research, and policy engagement to support full participation of deaf people in society. |
https://wfdeaf.org/ |
| Name of Organization | Role (As per organization's own description) | Website Link |
|---|---|---|
| EASTIN- The Global Assistive Technology Information Network |
EASTIN is a network of national organizations, specialized in disseminating information in the field of assistive technology. |
https://www.eastin.eu/en/whatiseastin/index |
| Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organizations (GAATO) |
GAATO’s mission is to advance the field of assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering to benefit people with disabilities and functional limitations of all ages. As global alliance members GAATO are committed to working towards equitable and reliable access to assistive technology through collaborative research, policy advocacy, education and awareness raising. |
https://www.gaato.org/ |
| Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) |
Global Disability Innovation Hub accelerates ideas into impact for a more just world - for disabled people, and all people. |
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/ |
| International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) |
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness is the overarching alliance for the global eye health sector, with more than 250 organisations in over 100 countries working for the prevention of blindness and vision impairment. |
https://www.iapb.org/ |
| International Disability Alliance (IDA) |
IDA is an Alliance of 14 global and regional organisations of persons with disabilities. IDA advocates at the United Nations for a more inclusive global environment for everyone. |
https://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/ |
| International Society for Physical Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) |
The International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) serves as the global agency for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM). As a non-governmental organization, as an international umbrella organization of PRM physicians, and as a catalyst for international PRM research, ISPRM has a humanitarian or civil societal, a professional, and a scientific mandate. |
https://isprm.org/ |
| International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) |
ISPO is a global, multidisciplinary, non-governmental organisation aiming to improve the quality of life for persons who may benefit from prosthetic, orthotic, mobility, and assistive devices. ISPO provides an effective platform for the exchange and communication on all aspects of the science, practice, and education associated with the provision of prosthetic and orthotic care, rehabilitation engineering, wheelchairs and therapy, and related areas. |
https://www.ispoint.org/ |
| International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) |
The International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) was established in 2015 to address the global need for appropriate wheelchairs and related services. With over 80 million people worldwide requiring wheelchairs for mobility and function, many still lack access to suitable equipment and support. |
https://iswp.org/ |
| Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) |
RESNA is the premier professional membership organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions.RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency. |
https://www.resna.org/ |
| World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) |
WFOT is the official international organisation representing the occupational therapy profession. WFOT sets the standard for occupational therapy education internationally and promotes excellence in research and practice. |
https://wfot.org/ |
| Name of Organization | Role (As per organization's own description) | Website Link |
|---|---|---|
| Physiopedia |
Physiopedia is a charity registered in the United Kingdom that provides an evidence-based and continually updating knowledge resource that is free for anyone to access. The Physiopedia website is the world's largest rehabilitation knowledge resource and is used by people throughout the world. |
https://www.physio-pedia.com/ |
| Training in Assistive Products (TAP) |
WHO's online Training in assistive products (TAP) is designed to prepare primary health and other personnel to fulfill an assistive technology role. TAP is a flexible, modular training resource that can be tailored to support local health systems and training for assistive technology provision.TAP includes a range of assistive products to support cognition, communication, vision, hearing, self-care, and mobility from WHO’s Priority assistive products list. |
https://www.gate-tap.org/ |