Local Systems Strengthening: Nepal
In Nepal, we aim to bring together local and global expertise working in the AT sector to identify routes that could unlock local innovation, and improve current gaps in service, such as repair which is often under-supported and a limiting factor in the impact of provision, contributing to high abandonment rates in low resource settings.
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In Nepal, many people with disabilities face daily barriers due to a lack of accessible, appropriate, and affordable Assistive Technology (AT). Global supply chains often fail to meet local needs, and there are limited pathways for ongoing device repair, maintenance, and adaptation.
Our work aims to change this by strengthening Nepal’s local AT ecosystem, grounded in community expertise and built for long-term sustainability.
Local Bespoke Device Development
Global markets often fail to meet individual assistive technology (AT) needs. We aim to strengthen local AT innovation ecosystems to fill these gaps.
As part of this, we will support real-world cases that pair user needs with local design and manufacturing skills, following products from development through their full lifecycle. Locally made devices offer easy access to expertise, parts, and adaptations.
Users will also be tracked over time to ensure quality, improve services, and learn how global knowledge, both institutional and peer-based, can best support local innovation.
The Enabling Fridays Community Nepal
The Enabling Fridays Community (EFC) Nepal is a grassroots initiative established to tackle the unique challenges of AT provision across the country. Founded by Ram Chandra Thapa, a Nepali engineer and social entrepreneur, EFC brings together local innovators, service providers, and global partners to reimagine how AT is developed, delivered, and sustained in Nepal.
This work began during the COVID-19 pandemic with support from the FCDO COVIDaction programme and evolved under the AT2030 initiative, led by GDI Hub. Ram’s company, Zener Technologies, upgraded a small prototyping facility into a versatile local production hub using 3D printing and distributed manufacturing to meet urgent needs, from PPE to spare parts for broken medical devices. That same approach is now being adapted to support local AT design, fabrication, and repair.
Why Nepal and Why Now?
Nepal’s diverse geography, limited infrastructure, and decentralised service systems make it a country where imported, one-size-fits-all AT solutions often fail. Enabling Fridays has revealed specific system-level challenges:
- There is no national data on AT needs, and no clear pathway for lifelong provision.
- Many local innovators lack support and access to disability-sector networks.
- Repair and maintenance services are minimal, leading to high device abandonment.
- Opportunities exist to harness local talent and infrastructure for more responsive solutions.
These findings come directly from our stakeholder mapping and three community-led EFC sessions (2022–2023), involving 16 partners from 11 Nepali institutions, spanning academia, healthcare, the private sector, and local innovation hubs.
Our Approach
Our mission is to build a sustainable, inclusive AT system for Nepal that meets people’s needs throughout their lives. We are doing this by:
- Supporting local innovation through partnerships with Nepali designers, engineers, and fabricators.
- Strengthening the repair economy, so that devices can be fixed and reused locally.
- Developing individual case studies that pair users with local experts to co-create solutions.
- Embedding services like rehabilitation, follow-up, and maintenance into every phase of AT delivery.
- Promoting technology transfer that makes sense for Nepal’s economy, materials, and communities.
This initiative is directly aligned with UCL’s Institute of Making Repair Programme and GDI Hub Accelerate, as part of a global effort to create hubs of disability innovation. Nepal is emerging as a leading spoke in this global network.
Looking Ahead
The Enabling Fridays Community continues to grow—uniting Nepali changemakers, healthcare professionals, engineers, and global experts around a shared goal: to transform how AT is provided in Nepal.
By building an ecosystem grounded in local knowledge, production capacity, and service innovation, we’re creating new pathways to inclusion and independence for people with disabilities across Nepal.
Publications
- Locally Produced Prosthetics in Nepal (2025)
- Enabling Access Locally: A Systems Approach to Wheelchair Provisioning in Low-Resource Contexts (Nepal) (2023)
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