Overview
The World Health Organization (WHO) is updating its Priority Assistive Products List (APL). The APL is a model list, which was first published in 2016. It supports WHO Member States in strengthening access to assistive products by establishing national priority lists.
As part of updating the APL, WHO will host seven online open stakeholder consultations in June 2025. The series will include one consultation for each of the six WHO regions and one global online session.
These consultations are an opportunity for stakeholders worldwide to provide feedback on the preliminary updated APL.
Why it matters
Access to assistive technology remains critically low for many of the more than 2.5 billion people who need it worldwide. The WHO Priority Assistive Products List (APL) plays a central role in addressing this gap by guiding countries in identifying, prioritizing, and making provisions for ensuring affordable access to essential assistive products. Updating the APL ensures it reflects current needs, technologies, and evidence, effectively empowering governments to develop national APLs and strategies that promote equitable access.
Purpose
The open stakeholder consultations aim to:
- inform stakeholders about the APL update process;
- gather feedback on the draft updated APL;
- understand stakeholder needs for resources and guidance to support national APL development and implementation.
Consultation schedule and registration
All sessions will be held online via Zoom. No invitation is required, however, registration is mandatory. Click the links below to register for your region or the global consultation:
| Local Time | Registration link | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| African Region | Thursday, 12 June, 14:00–16:00 CET | 13:00–15:00 (Brazzaville) | |
| Eastern and Mediterranean Region | Tuesday, 17 June, 11:00–13:00 CET | 12:00–14:00 (Cairo) | |
| European Region | Wednesday, 11 June, 13:00–15:00 CET | — | |
| Americas Region | Monday, 9 June, 17:00–19:00 CET | 11:00–13:00 (Washington) | |
| South East Asia Region | Tuesday, 10 June, 08:00–10:00 CET | 11:30–13:30 (Delhi) | |
| Western and Pacific Region | Wednesday, 11 June, 05:00–07:00 CET | 11:00–13:00 (Manila) | |
| Global | Friday, 13 June, 12:00–14:00 CET | — |
Not sure which region to register for?
Check the country you live or work in using this link, then select the appropriate WHO region based on your location. If you are affiliated with a global organization or your work spans multiple regions, you are welcome to register for the Global session.
If you encounter any issues with the Zoom registration, please email assistivetechnology@who.int.
Languages supported
- African Region: English, French, (Portuguese TBC)
- Americas Region: English, Spanish, Portuguese
- Eastern and Mediterranean Region: English, Arabic, French
- European Region: English, Russian
- South East Asia Region: English
- Western and Pacific Region English, Chinese
For each regional consultation, simultaneous interpretation will be available in the languages listed above. Additionally, live captioning will be provided in English, with automated captioning available in other official UN languages.
Consultation programme (2 hours)
- Session 1: Welcome and overview – 30 minutes
Introduction to the APL update process and the purpose of the consultations (plenary)
- Session 2: Question and answer session – 20 minutes
Open discussion on the information presented (plenary)
- Session 3: Consultation discussion – 70 minutes
Breakout sessions by language to address the question
"Are there assistive products that should be added to or removed from the preliminary APL in different functional domains? If so, which ones and why?”
Online survey
To ensure inclusive participation and gather comprehensive input, participants will be invited to submit written feedback through an online survey, which will remain open for three weeks following the consultations.
The survey will include:
- A written introduction and a recording of Session 1 for those unable to attend live.
- Three key questions:
- Are there assistive products that should be added to or removed from the preliminary APL in different functional domains? If so, which ones and why?
- How can WHO best support countries in developing, implementing, and using a national APL?
- What features and information would you like to see on an online platform dedicated to APL and its assistive products?