When most people think about accessibility they might think about providing ramps for wheelchair access, but in reality accessibility is so much more than that – and with the progressions of technology in recent years, accessibility has come along in leaps and bounds. Here are six ways that technology can make your home more accessible.
Setting daily reminders
Most people have some sort of smart device in their home, even if it is their phone. I love to use my smartphone assistant to set me reminders, as I often get distracted and forget basic things that I should be doing. Daily reminders for medication are incredibly useful, but even setting a timer using my phone for when the food in the oven is cooked is very helpful to me and keeps me more safe in my home.
Getting you up and down the stairs safely
It is frustrating not to be able to have the full use of your house because of your mobility, which is why options like a stairlift or homelift from Age Co Mobility are both fantastic ways to use technology to make the most of your home. Using a stairlift means that you are safely able to move up and down your stairs freely, without putting any additional pressure on your joints or risking falling down the stairs.
Control your home without having to move
One of my pet peeves is having to move things around to reach plug sockets, and on a bad pain day I will often just have to go without whatever I wanted to plug in because I am unable to bend that way. The introduction of smart plugs around the home means I can verbally instruct my smart hub to switch that plug on – particularly handy for things like boiling the kettle or turning on an electric wax melt burner without getting up.
Video doorbells are great for mobility and safety
In this day and age, packages can be turning up at all hours, within next day delivery available for all household needs. However, the drivers always seem to be in such a rush, and if you struggle with your mobility then you might find it difficult to get to the door before they have to leave and move on to their next delivery. Using a video doorbell means you can instruct the driver where to leave your package, and that you will collect it when you are able to. Not only is this safer from a mobility perspective, but it means you don’t have to open the door to somebody that you don’t know.
Different forms of alerts
On top of regular daily reminders, there are certain things that happen that you cannot plan for – such as visitors to your home arriving, for example, which you may not realise if you struggle with hearing and could miss the doorbell. There are fantastic alternatives to the traditional doorbell that are much more user friendly for a deaf or hard of hearing person, such as a mechanism that vibrates when you have visitors, or a lamp that will flash when the doorbell is rung if this is more useful. Using technology is great because you can adapt it to whatever will work for your specific needs.
Making energy costs easier to manage
The cost of living has become overwhelming for the entire country this year, and energy bills are confusing and overwhelming – but what we do know, is that the costs are soaring. Using smart technology such as controlling your blinds or thermostat from where you are sitting, means that you have greater control over the energy that is used in your home, which can help with managing the overall costs.
Do you use technology inside your home to make it more accessible for you or a family member? How do you use technology to your advantage? I’d love to hear more tips in the comments.
Heavensa also known as Heaven’s A Dreamy Life is the digital home of Gee, a UK-based content creator and entrepreneur.