Market Challenges And Opportunities

Moreover, manufacturers of disability devices are also actively participating in the development of high-technology approaches to deal with disability in home environment, such as environmental control units, which are becoming increasingly available. For instance, in 2016, Furenexo launched its first product, Sound Sense, which is a hearing aid that resembles a USB stick and fits in a user’s pocket. The device has a small microphone that will pick up noises, including warning sounds such as smoke alarms, horns or sirens.

Various research organizations such as the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) are funding researchers in developing devices that will help people with varying degrees of hearing loss to communicate with others. For instance, in 2012, a team of researchers developed a portable device, wherein two or more users type messages to each other that can be displayed simultaneously in real time. All these factors are expected to drive growth of the disability devices market during the forecast period.

Global Disability Devices Market: Restraints

Despite the high demand for disability devices, high cost of such devices will limit its adoption. According to the WHO, the cost of disability devices consumes a significant portion of household and government budgets. Moreover, the retail prices of disability aids and equipment are substantially higher in some countries than in internet sites. For instance, as per the WHO, a particular branded manual wheelchair advertised on Australian internet site for US$ 2,236 could be purchased from a U.S. internet site for US$ 1,401.