Access to assistive technology for cerebral palsy: stakeholder and lived-experience perspectives from international focus groups.

PURPOSE: People with cerebral palsy (CP) face persistent barriers to accessing appropriate assistive technology (AT), despite its critical role in supporting health, independence, and participation. This study examines perspectives from people with CP, caregivers, rehabilitation professionals, AT developers, and disability-sector stakeholders to identify systemic barriers to AT access and explore priorities for strengthening AT systems globally. The aim is to inform the WHO-UNICEF Global Roadmap on Assistive Technology by integrating lived, professional, and system-level perspectives into policy and innovation discourse.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Two sequential international virtual focus groups were conducted in March 2025 with 49 participants in the first session and 42 in the second, representing 20 countries across low-, middle-, and high-income settings. The first session explored challenges in AT access, and the second focused on potential solutions. Discussions were transcribed, anonymised, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Analysis identified nine systemic barriers, including high costs, bureaucratic gaps, limited repair infrastructure, and exclusion from services in adulthood. Five priority areas emerged: localised production, technology-enabled customisation, strengthened service and workforce systems, cross-sector collaboration, and global peer learning.

CONCLUSIONS

Grounding AT policy and innovation in participatory approaches that integrate lived experience alongside professional expertise can support more inclusive, resilient, and lifespan-oriented AT systems.