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Abstract
India has an estimated 4.6 million blind persons and over 35 million with visually impairment. Safe, independent mobility when performing everyday tasks is one of the greatest challenges faced by the visually impaired. A smart cane is an assistive technology device which is helpful in obstacle detection and warning. Cost of a white cane is INR 150 (USD 2), while a smart cane costs INR 3000-3500 (USD 40–47) in the Indian market. The government policy initiatives at providing free smart canes is a huge expenditure. Hence, a Health Technology assessment (HTA) with a mixed methods approach using economic evaluation and in depth qualitative interviews was conducted.
The study results showed that the current smart canes are not cost-effective and have limitations in usability, require good training requirement. This evidence would be useful for policy makers, providers, and manufacturers of smart canes in India for changes in product design.
