Disability Devices MarketSize and Trends

The global disability devices market size was valued at US$ 14.5 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 26.3 billion over the forecast period (2018 – 2026).

Global Disability Devices Market: Drivers

Factors such as rising government initiatives and increasing patient population are the two most significant factors that are driving the disability devices market growth. In 2015, WHO estimated that over one billion people were in need of one or more assistive products such as low-vision devices, wheelchairs or hearing aids globally. However, of these only one in ten people have access to disability devices. In order to address this substantial gap between the need for and provision of assistive technology, WHO is developing a flagship program – Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) – in partnership with United Nations Agencies, international organizations, donor agencies, professional organizations, academia, and organizations of/for persons with disabilities.

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.