Persons with disabilities, entrepreneurs and government officers came together at the Awareness Conclave on Assistive Technology 2023 to discuss ways to make assistive devices accessible in rural areas, making them affordable, and investing more in developing them.
Speaking on the occasion, Science and Technology Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said that the government will support initiatives that use technology to develop assistive devices for people with disabilities
"Many are unable to access devices or don't know where to procure them. Devices developed in the west also become prohibitively expensive in India," said Dr Mahantesh G K, Founder of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.
The Trust works with startups to develop new assistive devices and also connects companies to prospective users.