Smart home solutions add luxury and convenience to home life. To a disabled person they often amount to a vital part of existence.
Smart home devices enable them to more easily handle basic necessities in the home – from turning on lights to opening doors and windows – all without direct physical interaction.
Smart phone apps and voice commands allow devices and services to be controlled anytime from anywhere, which not only means greater independence for the disabled person but permits caretakers to make alterations to home needs even when offsite, including granting access to entry points and adjusting temperature and lighting.
Smart home success for the disabled starts with a reliable WiFi connection, and a generous supply of voice-activation hubs, so you to control most if not all of your home devices from a single command center. Call a ride share, set your alarm or start your microwave, for instance. Robotic vacuums and refrigerators can also be cued using voice commands.
The staff at San Diego Smart Homes specializes in matching smart home technology to specific accessibility demands. We are highly attuned to what should be installed where depending on needs so as to maximize comfort and accessibility.
10 Smart Home Automation Devices for the Disabled
While needs will vary based on specific physical and cognitive limitations, following are smart home automation devices for the disabled that are more or less essential to improving quality of home life regardless of the disability.
Smart home speakers: Activation hubs like Google Nest, Amazon Echo and Apple HomeKit allow you to control devices around the home using primarily your voice.
Smart displays: Like smart speakers they are voice-prompted. They are also larger than a smartphone screen and allow users to easily access functions with a swipe or a touch.
Smart home plugs: Used to turn on/off a range of devices, including lights, fans, air conditioning and some kitchen appliances. You can even use them to turn on the radio just before your favorite show begins or switch on an air purifier or dehumidifier, kettle or coffee maker.
Smart home locks and smart home security cameras: In contrast to keypad locks, smart home locks allow you to give personalized passcodes to care attendants, housekeepers, nurses, friends and family, and set them to work at particular times. An app logs who’s entered your home when and allows you to easily reset passcodes as needed. Smart home security cameras allow you to monitor your property around the clock and send alerts to your device when motion of strangers is detected.
Smart home sensors: Vital to making your smart home live up to its full potential, these discreet devices detect and respond to a range of activity, including motion, contact and a change of temperature. Can be employed to alert family members and caretakers from afar, let you know who’s at the door or cue lights or a change in temperature upon entering a room.
Smart home lights: Can be triggered by movement, set to particular schedules or turned on and off using a simple voice command.
Smart home thermostats: Controllable through a smart phone or voice prompts, and ideal for those who lack the dexterity or vision to control a traditional thermostat. Some, in combination with smart home sensors, can be cued to heat or cool a room as you enter and turn off when you leave. Smart home thermostats can also be adjusted by caretakers when they are offsite.
Smart home window shades: Window shades can be hard to reach and physically demanding to adjust. Controlled through voice prompts or a phone app, smart shades are essential to securing light or privacy for those with physical limitations.
Smart home video doorbells: Allow you to see who’s at your door, talk with them directly, and let them in from anywhere. They also can deter porch thieves.
Robot vacuums: The best of these attune to your home’s layout to thoroughly clean your living spaces, and can be operated via voice command. They can free up caretakers to cater to other areas of your well-being.
These and other smart home solutions make for a safer and more independent living experience for those with disabilities. Call San Diego Smart Homes at 619-436-4025, or email us, info@gosmartsd.com, for a free consultation.
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