Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE)

Key stakeholders at a side event of the High-level meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development, New York, United States of America, 23 September 2013, requested World Health Organisation (WHO) to develop and coordinate a global initiative to realize the obligations of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities towards increasing access to assistive technology (article 32 in particular).

In response to this, WHO organized a key stakeholders meeting in Geneva on 3 and 4 July 2014 and established a global initiative: the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE).

As an action emanating from the Global priority research agenda to further the aims of GATE, the Global Research, Innovation, and Education in Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit, as a GATE initiative, was held on the 3rd – 4th August 2017 at WHO headquarters in Geneva. The Summit brought together nearly 200 AT stakeholders including expert users, global researchers, innovators and educators to discuss service delivery, research education and training related to assistive technology policy, products, personnel, provision and use.

The vision of the GATE initiative: A world where everyone in need has high-quality, affordable assistive products to lead a healthy, productive and dignified life.

The GATE initiative has only one goal: to improve access to high-quality affordable assistive products globally. To achieve this, the GATE initiative will focus on four interlinked activities (4P):

  • Policy: assistive technology policy framework (ATP)
  • Products: Priority Assistive Products List (APL)
  • Personnel: assistive products training package (APT)
  • Provision: assistive products service delivery model (APS)

Recognised as a global expert and innovator in the AT space, CECOPS was invited to Geneva as part of the GREAT summit. Our CEO has also been involved in writing Position Papers on AT subjects for the WHO GATE initiative.

Find out more and get involved in this worthy initiative HERE