Based on existing cross-sectional studies, case studies, and policy-related reports, experts in the field of assistive technology have long suspected that even in high-income countries such as England not everyone who could benefit from assistive technology has access to it, and that there are inequities in access. However, there was little concrete data on the extent of these gaps. Those data have been provided in the study by Danemayer and colleagues.¹ Elegantly using longitudinal data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, the authors show that in a population of 12 080 participants, 2480 (20·5%) had an unmet need for mobility assistive products at baseline and 5102 (42·2%) had an unmet need at least once during the follow-up period, which had a median duration of 4 years. The data further revealed that there are important inequities in access: women, older adults, and people with low education levels, less wealth, or disabilities have higher chances of transitioning from no need to unmet need, with women additionally being less likely than men to transition from unmet need to use. This study is important because it not only provides directions for further research, but it also particularly underscores the need for improving policy and practice. These findings align closely with those from the large, global cross-sectional study into assistive technology needs and access, published by WHO and UNICEF in their Global Report on Assistive Technology.² In that study, it was estimated that in countries with a very high human development index a median of 20·7% (range 16·5–59·8) of people with a need for assistive technology do not have access to it.

中文翻译：

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在获得辅助技术方面的不平等：呼吁采取行动


根据现有的横断面研究、案例研究和政策相关报告，辅助技术领域的专家长期以来一直怀疑，即使在英格兰等高收入国家，也不是每个可以从辅助技术中受益的人都能获得它，而且在获取方面存在不平等。然而，关于这些差距程度的具体数据很少。这些数据由 Danemayer 及其同事在研究中提供。¹ 作者巧妙地使用来自英国老龄化纵向研究的纵向数据，表明在 12 080 名参与者中，2480 人 （20·5%） 在基线时对移动辅助产品的需求未得到满足，5102 人 （42·2%） 在随访期间至少有一次未满足的需求，中位持续时间为 4 年。数据进一步揭示了在获取方面存在重大的不平等：女性、老年人以及受教育水平低、财富较少或残疾的人更有可能从不需要过渡到未满足的需求，女性也比男性更不可能从未满足的需求过渡到使用。这项研究很重要，因为它不仅为进一步的研究提供了方向，而且还特别强调了改进政策和实践的必要性。这些发现与世卫组织和联合国儿童基金会在其《全球辅助技术报告》中发布的关于辅助技术需求和获取的大型全球横断面研究的结果密切相关。² 在该研究中，估计在人类发展指数非常高的国家，需要辅助技术的人中位数为 20·7%（范围 16·5-59·8）无法获得辅助技术。