Health Topic

Assistive Devices

Learn about assistive devices and how they can help you if you are disabled or injured.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Assistive technology

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Assistive Devices

Assistive devices are tools, products, or equipment that can help you perform tasks and activities. They may help you move around, see, communicate, eat, or get dressed.

You may use various assistive devices if you:

  • Have a disability or injury
  • Have certain health conditions such as dementia, or if you've had a stroke
  • Are an older adult

You might use an assistive device for a short time or long term. Others might use them throughout their lifespan.

Some assistive devices are high-tech tools, such as computers. Others are much simpler, like a "reacher," a tool that helps you grab an object you can't reach.

There are a variety of assistive devices or tools available that may be used to help you to:

  • Communicate, see, or hear better
  • Perform daily activities
  • Move by using a wheelchair, walker, or another mobility device
  • Cook or eat
  • Dress or groom yourself
  • Improve your memory or attention
  • Be more active
  • Participate in educational activities

Assistive devices may also be used to make changes to your physical environment so it is easier to move or care for yourself. This can include adding ramps or grab bars.

It sits within Older Adults and Surgery and Rehabilitation.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Assistive Devices

184 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Learn More

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Self-Help Devices. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Assistive Devices, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.