Smart home devices might feel like luxurious add-ons to most people, but they’re essential for people with disabilities and limited mobility. It goes beyond adding convenience to your life. If your fingers have diminished dexterity, it’ll be very hard to open a locked door using a key. A simple smart door lock can absolve much of the problem and give its users freedom to lock and unlock it whenever they want without touching it.
Smart home devices come in all shapes and sizes and range from a smart plug to a full-fledged smart home where everything is automated. One important thing to keep in mind is that these smart home devices need the internet to communicate and that’s how you control them. That’s why your internet connection needs to be reliable and fast so every command is executed swiftly even if you’re not there.
We recommend pairing up your smart home devices with CenturyLink internet because it’s super-fast and affordable. Once that’s sorted, you can start looking at the kind of smart home devices you want. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best smart home devices people with limited mobility can use. Read on to know more.
Table of Contents
1. Ultralog U-Bolt Pro Smart Lock
We’ve included this particular smart lock in our list because of its versatility and ease of usage. There’s a numeric pad to punch in your PIN code, a physical keyhole for the key, auto-lock mode, and a smartphone app. Moreover, the buttons on the keypad are soft to the touch. It connects to your home internet via Wi-Fi and provides alerts via the app on your phone.
2. Arlo Essential Video Doorbell Wired
The Arlo Essential doorbell can discern between people and objects. For example, it can give you an alert stating that there’s a package on your door or a person or a dog. There’s also an emergency alert feature that allows you to contact someone you want with one-touch access. Whenever someone rings the doorbell, you’ll get a notification and you have the option to talk to them through your smartphone.
3. EufyCam 2 Pro
For those who don’t have an outdoor power outlet, EufyCam 2 Pro is a great alternative for upgrading your home security. It comes with rechargeable batteries and you can place it anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal. Another wonderful feature that’s absent in this price range is that it can discern between generic motion and people.
4. Simplisafe The Essentials
This kit includes indoor video and doorbell cameras, smart locks, smoke sensors, and others. It’s ideal if you want your house under surveillance with self-monitoring or paid monitoring by the SimpliSafe team.
5. Adobe Smart Security Kit
This security kit lets you mix and match their sensors with your current smart home system. Usually, smart home system manufacturers have a limited range of devices and sensors that you must use if you want to get a certain feature. However, the Adobe Smart Security Kit has a ton of different devices and sensors including an acoustic glass-break sensor and other door and window sensors.
6. Google Nest Learning Thermostat
Smart thermostats are ideal for reducing your energy consumption while keeping your home’s temperature consistent. These can greatly reduce the hassle of going up to the thermostat and changing it multiple times a day for people with limited mobility. Google Nest learning thermostat learns your temperature preferences for each season and the time of day.
The best thing about the thermostat is that you’ll only need to adjust the temperature a few times and then it’ll take it from there. You can also get the optional Nest Temperature Sensors, which you can place in the coldest or hottest temperatures. This way the thermostat will adjust its temperature more efficiently.
7. Apple iPad (8th Gen)
If you’re thinking of getting into smart home devices and would like an Apple alternative, the Apple iPad (8th Gen) is for you. It has all the accessibility features you get on an iPhone. Moreover, it works great with all compatible devices and provides central control to users.
8. Amazon Echo (4th Gen)
This nifty smart speaker packs a powerful punch and it can fill up an average-size room nicely. You can use it to control your smart devices, order food, ask questions, add a reminder, play music, and more. Another wonderful thing about the Echo is that it’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, which lets you create Alexa routines.
These routines can especially help those with limited mobility. For example, you can set a command for the smart bulb in your room to light up when someone rings the doorbell.
9. Wyze Plug
This is a basic smart plug that you can plug into any power socket, and connect any electric device to it. You can use it to plug in your computer, coffee maker, lamps, etc. Additionally, it also has a few advanced features like tracking how long you use a specific device in a day or a week.
10.Wemo WiFi Smart Plug
This smart plug lets you plug any electric device into it and control it through any compatible smart home kit. The best thing about this smart plug is that it’s compatible with major voice platforms including Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.
You can use the Wemo app or control it directly from Apple’s Home app or Siri. In addition to turning something on or off, you can also implement a schedule.
Conclusion
Now you can begin exploring these devices and choose one that suits your needs best. There is no one-size-fits-all here as different people have different limitations. Keep in mind that these devices might require some occasional troubleshooting. This might be hard if you have limited accessibility, but you can ask your trusted friends and family members to help you with this.
Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-assistive-smart-home-technology-for-disabled/
