Ritu Ghosh, Academic and Technical Director at Mobility India, Bengaluru, has been announced as the closing keynote speaker for the inaugural Orthotics, Prosthetics & Rehabilitation Conference, OPRC 2026.
The conference will take place from August 6 to 8, 2026, at Le Westin Montréal in Montréal, Quebec, with an opening reception scheduled for August 5. OPRC 2026 is presented as a landmark collaboration between Orthotics Prosthetics Canada and ISPO Canada, bringing together professionals from orthotics, prosthetics, rehabilitation, assistive technology, education, research and clinical service delivery.
Ghosh’s closing keynote is expected to provide a fitting conclusion to the event, particularly for delegates interested in workforce development, sustainable rehabilitation systems and improved access to assistive products in low- and middle-income countries.
A Career Dedicated to Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology
Ritu Ghosh is a prosthetist and orthotist with more than 30 years of experience in rehabilitation, assistive technology, professional healthcare training and systems development. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Health Care Services.
She has spent her career with Mobility India, one of Asia’s leading organisations in rehabilitation and assistive technology. Based in Bengaluru, Mobility India is widely recognised for its work in clinical services, community-based rehabilitation, assistive technology access, training, research and policy engagement.
Ghosh’s work has crossed multiple areas of the rehabilitation sector, including prosthetics and orthotics practice, allied health education, research, community programme development and advocacy. She has also supported rehabilitation and assistive technology training and service initiatives in more than 21 countries, many of them low- and middle-income countries.
This international experience gives her keynote particular relevance for a global audience.
Why This Matters for the IMEA Region
For readers across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and South Asia, Ritu Ghosh’s role at OPRC 2026 is especially significant.
Many IMEA countries face common rehabilitation challenges: limited access to trained prosthetists and orthotists, uneven distribution of services, weak referral pathways, shortages of assistive products and underdeveloped funding systems. At the same time, the region has growing clinical demand linked to diabetes, trauma, stroke, congenital conditions, ageing populations, conflict-related injury and noncommunicable diseases.
Ghosh’s career has focused on exactly these issues. Her work in education, service development and assistive technology systems reflects the practical needs of countries where rehabilitation must be expanded sustainably, not simply imported as a high-cost specialist service.
The relevance goes beyond India. Her experience speaks directly to rehabilitation leaders, educators and policymakers working in Africa, the Gulf, South Asia and other LMIC settings where workforce capacity and access remain major barriers.
Workforce Development at the Centre of Rehabilitation Access
One of the most important themes likely to connect with OPRC delegates is workforce development.
Access to prosthetic and orthotic devices depends not only on technology or funding. It depends on trained professionals who can assess patients, design appropriate interventions, fabricate and fit devices, provide follow-up care, repair and maintain products, and work as part of multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams.
The World Health Organization has repeatedly highlighted the global need to strengthen rehabilitation services and integrate rehabilitation into health systems. It has also emphasised the role of trained personnel and service systems in prosthetics and orthotics provision.
For IMEA markets, this is critical. Expanding rehabilitation access will require more than equipment donations or isolated training workshops. It will require long-term investment in education, accreditation, clinical mentoring, technician training, local service capacity and leadership development.
Ghosh’s closing keynote at OPRC 2026 is therefore expected to resonate with professionals who see workforce development as the foundation of sustainable rehabilitation.
Assistive Technology as a Health System Priority
Assistive technology is another central theme connecting Mobility India’s work with the wider OPRC 2026 agenda.
The WHO and UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology estimates that more than 2.5 billion people globally need one or more assistive products, while nearly one billion people are denied access. In many low- and middle-income countries, access to assistive technology remains extremely limited.
For prosthetics and orthotics, this gap includes prosthetic limbs, orthoses, wheelchairs, therapeutic footwear, positioning devices, walking aids and other products that support mobility and independence.
Ghosh’s experience in assistive technology training and service development across multiple countries makes her keynote timely. The global rehabilitation sector is increasingly recognising that assistive technology must be treated as part of essential healthcare, not as a charitable extra or optional add-on.
A Landmark Conference for the Profession
OPRC 2026 is described by Orthotics Prosthetics Canada as a premier collaboration between OPC and ISPO Canada. The conference is expected to bring together clinicians, educators, researchers, manufacturers, students, policymakers and rehabilitation leaders.
For Canadian delegates, it represents an important national and international professional gathering. For international participants, it offers a platform to connect with wider debates around clinical standards, innovation, education, service delivery and rehabilitation system strengthening.
The inclusion of Ritu Ghosh as closing keynote speaker reinforces the global dimension of the conference. Her experience connects clinical practice with education, community programmes, assistive technology systems and international collaboration.
From Innovation to Sustainable Systems
In recent years, much of the conversation in prosthetics and orthotics has focused on innovation: digital workflows, 3D printing, advanced materials, robotics, sensors and new device designs.
These developments are important. However, Ghosh’s career also highlights a crucial point: innovation only creates impact when it reaches people through sustainable systems.
For many countries, the key questions remain:
- Who will provide the service?
- How will professionals be trained?
- How will products be funded?
- How will devices be maintained and repaired?
- How will rural populations access care?
- How will rehabilitation be integrated into wider health systems?
- How will outcomes be measured?
These are exactly the types of questions that matter across the IMEA region.
A Powerful Closing Message for OPRC 2026
Ritu Ghosh’s keynote is likely to close OPRC 2026 with a message that is both professional and global: rehabilitation is not only about devices, but about people, systems and access.
Her career demonstrates how prosthetics, orthotics and assistive technology can connect clinical practice with education, policy, community development and international collaboration.
For IMEA CPO readers, the announcement is a reminder that many of the most important lessons in rehabilitation are coming from professionals who have worked across diverse, resource-constrained and rapidly developing settings.
As OPRC 2026 approaches, Ghosh’s closing keynote should be of interest not only to Canadian delegates, but to rehabilitation professionals across the world who are working to build more inclusive, skilled and sustainable services.
Event Details
Event: Orthotics, Prosthetics & Rehabilitation Conference 2026
Dates: August 6 to 8, 2026
Opening Reception: August 5, 2026
Venue: Le Westin Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Closing Keynote Speaker: Ritu Ghosh, Academic and Technical Director, Mobility India, Bengaluru
- OPRC 2026 Conference Information
- OPRC 2026 Event Registration Page
- ISPO Canada Events: OPRC 2026
- Mobility India
- Mobility India: Ritu Ghosh and the Knud Jansen Lecture
- WHO: Rehabilitation
- WHO and UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology
- WHO: Prosthetics and Orthotics Services