Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2026 May 26:1-22. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2026.2677768. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Article 20 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities obliges States Parties to facilitate access to assistive products, yet population-level data for the Gulf remain scarce. Guided by the WHO GATE framework and the rATA tool, this study estimated current assistive-product use and unmet need among Kuwaiti adults and identified their sociodemographic and functional correlates.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional mixed-methods online survey using a locally adapted Arabic rATA was disseminated via convenience and snowball sampling through Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Persons with Disability, civil-society organisations, and social media. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, χ² tests, Cronbach’s alpha, and multivariable logistic regression; six interviews were analysed thematically.
RESULTS: Of 652 respondents (84.4% female; 62.4% aged 18-28), 18.9% reported diagnosed disability and 69.0% reported Washington Group functional difficulty. Current use was 41.1%, clustering in vision (83.2% of users), cognition (64.6%), and communication (53.7%). Unmet need was 8.6%, most often attributed to cost (46.4%). Among users, 54.1% self-funded and 10.8% received government funding. Satisfaction was highest for environmental fit (M = 4.12) and lowest for repair (M = 3.59; α = 0.72). Disability (aOR 9.18, 95% CI 5.25-16.06) and functional difficulty (aOR 4.85, 3.04-7.73) were the dominant correlates.
CONCLUSIONS: In this non-probability sample, assistive-product use was driven by disability and functional difficulty rather than socioeconomic position, yet most users self-funded and cost dominated unmet need. Strengthening publicly funded procurement, follow-up services, and product coverage beyond vision aids would align Kuwait with WHO GATE and CRPD obligations-findings directly relevant to rehabilitation service planning.
PMID:42186824 | DOI:10.1080/17483107.2026.2677768
