According to the WHO 2.5 billion persons in the world require some kind of assistive technology, and this number is expected to grow. The vast majority of these persons do not have access to assistive technology and thus face major challenges in their everyday lives. At the same time our world is increasingly filled with all kinds of technology to support our lifestyle and enable us to live our lives to the fullest. This feels paradoxal: huge needs on the one hand, rapid technological advances on the other, and yet there is this huge gap. In this presentation I will first talk about the global need for assistive technology. Then I will discuss the many opportunities developments in technology offer to bridge the gap mentioned, but also some challenges we face when trying to bridge the gap. I will finish with a call for international collaboration in this field, including a short description of the ambitions and actions of the Global Alliance of Assistive Technology Organisations (GAATO) to stimulate international collaboration.