This document discusses the fragmentation of the assistive technology (AT) market and recommendations to address it. Key points: - The AT market fragmentation problem has been recognized for over 15 years but persists due to various barriers. - Barriers include a lack of information, high costs to navigate different health systems, and lack of market transparency. - Recommendations to improve the situation include increasing information sharing, education, market transparency, and ensuring AT accessibility. - The ATIS4all project aims to address these issues by developing an online "Market Place" to provide information, education, and improve the AT market structure in Europe.

1. Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions for All S2: Market Place (II) AT Market Fragmentation Carmen Pastor – Tecnalia, Health Technologies Second Workshop - Prague 8th and 9th September, 2011

2. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation Index Introduction Barriers Recommendations ATIS4all contribution Work at the end of this Session

3. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation NOT A NEW PROBLEM The fragmentation problem within ATs has been diagnosed for at least 15 years. The same problem has been identified in several studies and analysis done during these years: Horizontal European Activities in Rehabilitation Technology (HEART) 1993-1995 Access to Assistive Technology in the European Union study prepared by Deloitte & Touche 2003 Analysing and federating the EU AT ICT industry. 2008 Internal market for inclusive and assistive ICT, targeted market analysis and legislative aspects, Deloitte 2011 3

4. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation Why – Barriers for the AT ICT industry AAATE National Contact Points viewpoints from “Analysis of the ICT AT in Europe” (2008): Lack of knowledge of the market; not all products are in the procurement system Cost and time necessary to navigate the process and achieving compliance Different interpretations of the law in different regional health systems; very slow processes involving several local and provincial services. Lack of a coherent social policy for subsidizing/reimbursing such products, and the lack of coordination between the parties and stakeholders involved, resulting in high costs and very often in delays in the delivery of At products. High AT equipment prices, driven in part by manufacturers and resellers basing their selling prices on reimbursement amounts (as opposed to a free market model based on what the end-user is willing and able to pay). 4

5. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation Why - Industry Barriers The principal barrier for companies competing in the AT ICT market is the cost and time necessary to navigate the national service provider systems. 5

6. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation Recommendations Key recommendations made as part of the “Access to Assistive Technology in the European Union” study prepared by Deloitte & Touche in 2003 continue to be valid today: Information and advice: Improve coordinate, structure, share and validate information and advice on disability issues, Assistive Technology products, assessment procedures, experience, markets and above all on practical solutions. Education and training: Take action to improve the theoretical and practical knowledge of functional problems, and the solutions that the use of Assistive Technology can offer. Professionals in particular prescribers and assessors, must have sufficient expertise of assessment procedures and products. Market Efficiency: Make significant efforts to create transparency in markets, products, acceptance procedures and public tendering procedures. The lack of market transparency in the EU AT industry is inherent in the medical and social models of service provider systems. Under a consumer model, the end-user has a direct voice in the selection of his or her assistive product or service. Complexity of national systems: Ensure that assistive devices are easily accessible to all people with impairments. Assistive Technology in the workplace: Create awareness in the intrinsic potential for people with disabilities to perform tasks in regular enterprises. 6

7. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation ATIS4all and ETNA contribution: EASTIN 2.0 Information and advice: Improve coordinate, structure, share and validate information and advice on disability issues, Assistive Technology products, assessment procedures, experience, markets and above all on practical solutions. Education and training: Take action to improve the theoretical and practical knowledge of functional problems, and the solutions that the use of Assistive Technology can offer. Professionals in particular prescribers and assessors, must have sufficient expertise of assessment procedures and products. Market Efficiency: Make significant efforts to create transparency in markets, products, acceptance procedures and public tendering procedures. The lack of market transparency in the EU AT industry is inherent in the medical and social models of service provider systems. Under a consumer model, the end-user has a direct voice in the selection of his or her assistive product or service. Complexity of national systems: Ensure that assistive devices are easily accessible to all people with impairments. Assistive Technology in the workplace: Create awareness in the intrinsic potential for disabled people to perform tasks in regular enterprises. 7

8. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation ATIS4all contribution: Contents of the market Place 8

9. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation ATIS4all and ETNA: Collaboration for EASTIN 2.0 9

10. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation Work at the end of the session Discussion and selection of contents and tools that should be provided by ATIS4all in the Market Place Community 10

11. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation THANK YOU ! Carmen PASTOR European Market Director TECNALIA – Health Technologies carmen.pastor@tecnalia.com 11

12. Session 2: ICT Assistive Technology market fragmentation T2.2.1 Gathering of Information in ICT ATs, inclusive solutions and related services Proposed plan of activities for the next months: Detailed list of contents for the Market Place: September 2011 Today we will start the work in small working groups. Objective: prioritization of the contents, contents that should be provided by a community, how and who can provide. After the workshop: Consolidation of the results from the working groups and contribution of all partners to get a final list of contents. Gathering of selected initial contents: October – November 2011 Generation of Deliverable D2.3: December 2011 12