Unlock the Everyday is the first ever global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of assistive technology and people’s right to access around the world – no matter their income and no matter where they live. At the moment only 10% of people in low- income countries can access the assistive technology they need – that’s millions of people excluded from earning a living, getting an education or enjoying everyday moments many of us take for granted. We need urgent global action to address this.

Assistive technology (AT) is an umbrella term referring to the products, systems and services that enable people to live independent lives. Assistive products include things like glasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and digital devices.

Unlock the Everyday is a campaign calling on governments to do more to help the millions of people urgently in need of assistive technology today, through increased support and in the longer term, through increased investment. We are also calling on all those involved with the assistive technology sector to collaborate to improve supply chains and play their part in improving access to affordable assistive products.

Today, approximately 2.5 billion people need at least one form of assistive technology and most people will require assistive technology at some point in their lifetime. By 2050 this figure is likely to rise to 3.5 billion. Without access to assistive technology, when it is needed, more than 30% of the global population won’t meet their most basic human needs. Furthermore – without improving access to assistive technology, it will be impossible for governments to meet the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals – AT access is inextricably linked with ensuring everyone can get an education, earn a decent living and for societies to reduce inequalities and poverty.

Everyone can get involved in the campaign – whether you’re in the global north or from a country where accessing assistive technology is difficult. This is a global campaign for anyone who cares about these issues – we need people who use assistive technology, members of the public, communities, NGOs, local and national policymakers, corporates and philanthropic organizations all to get involved.

There are lots of different ways people can get involved – see our Get Involved page for more details.

Unlock the Everyday is backed by ATscale and partner organizations from across the global health and development sectors. More information about the partners backing the campaign can be found here.