Visagie Surona J, MacLachlan Malcolm, Scheffler Elsje, Seymour Nikola
Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Department of Psychology and Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland.
Afr J Disabil. 2022 Feb 10;11:937. doi: 10.4102/ajod.v11i0.937. eCollection 2022.
Appropriate provision of assistive technology services (ATS) and products are a global health issue and essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sixth African Network for Evidence-to-Action on Disability (AfriNEAD) conference included a workshop on collaboration, cohesion and coherence in ATS delivery in Africa.
This article aimed to summarise the workshop proceedings and to provide some recommendations on how coherence and cohesion can be facilitated in assistive technology services in Africa.
A round table and small group discussions on assistive technology were facilitated in the virtual space of the AfriNEAD conference. Organisations and role players in ATS and products in Africa participated as keynote speakers, round table members and in small group discussions.
There was consensus amongst participants that cohesive collaboration must be facilitated. They further agreed that users must be central to future action. There are local, national and regional initiatives, but none of these have grown into an African assistive technology platform. World Health Organization (WHO) Africa can bring partners together and facilitate creation, officialisation and operationalising of a continental assistive technology platform, through building on the existing initiatives. The AfriNEAD disability research country working groups can act as in-country coordinating bodies for ATS and afford a possibility of a structured approach to assistive technology research.
It is time to break away from Western institutionalised biomedical ways of providing ATS in Africa. Africans must develop coherent, cohesive ATS driven by empowered users who build on Africa's strengths and addresses the continents' unique needs.
提供适当的辅助技术服务（ATS）和产品是一个全球健康问题，对于实现可持续发展目标（SDG）至关重要。第六届非洲残疾问题循证行动网络（AfriNEAD）会议包括一个关于非洲辅助技术服务提供中的协作、凝聚和协调的研讨会。
本文旨在总结研讨会的会议记录，并就如何促进非洲辅助技术服务的协调和凝聚提供一些建议。
在AfriNEAD会议的虚拟空间中组织了关于辅助技术的圆桌会议和小组讨论。非洲辅助技术服务和产品领域的组织及参与者作为主旨演讲者、圆桌会议成员和小组讨论参与者参与其中。
与会者一致认为必须促进有凝聚力的协作。他们还一致认为用户必须成为未来行动的核心。存在地方、国家和区域层面的倡议，但这些都未发展成为一个非洲辅助技术平台。世界卫生组织（WHO）非洲区域办事处可以通过在现有倡议的基础上开展工作，将各合作伙伴聚集在一起，促进建立一个非洲大陆辅助技术平台，并使其正式化和投入运营。AfriNEAD残疾研究国家工作组可以作为辅助技术服务在国内的协调机构，并为辅助技术研究提供一种结构化方法的可能性。
现在是时候摆脱在非洲以西方制度化生物医学方式提供辅助技术服务的模式了。非洲人必须在增强权能的用户推动下，开发出协调一致、具有凝聚力的辅助技术服务，利用非洲的优势并满足非洲大陆的独特需求。
