Blogs

Using the Amazon Echo to further independence

What if you could turn your lights on or off by using your voice? Control lights? Adjust the room’s temperature? These things and much more are all achievable by utilizing personal home assistants like the Amazon Echo. Though small in size (and modest in price), this little device offers many possibilities for people of all abilities to complete life tasks and help increase or maintain independence. The Echo, when paired with other smart home devices, has seemingly limitless opportunities and applications to make life tasks easier—especially for people with disabilities who would otherwise require staff assistance. Over the next several months, we’ll be covering individual experiences with these devices to help spread the word on what they can do and show how people are using (and adapting) them to reach their goals.

Val’s Smart Room

Recently, we shared a story about The Phoenix Residence’s foray into personal home assistive devices. The main catalyst for their adoption of Echo devices and planned use of additional smart home technology was Val. When moving in, she not only brought the usual furniture and accessories, but tech, too! Val, along with her parents, have created an environment that helps her complete certain tasks independently and stay connected to family.

“I wouldn’t even use the word independence. I would say more freedom. More being able to feel like an adult because I’m able to do so much stuff on my own thanks to a device like Alexa.” - Val

Val utilizes the Amazon Echo Show along with smart bulbs and plugs to control her room. “Alexa, turn on my bedroom lights,” she says as she approaches her doorway in her power wheelchair. The lights, after a brief second, turn on. Moving toward her desk, she sits in front of her Echo Show while she talks about the different ways she can control her environment herself.

Demonstrating her tech further, she asks Alexa to turn her desk lamp on and off. Next, a simple command to control her fan, and then her TV. The TV takes a few seconds to respond, but being able to turn it on and off without staff assistance is still a desirable feature. While Val walks us through the technology she uses, she shares how being able to use her voice instead of  needing to call staff or struggling to do certain tasks herself (which she points out is nearly impossible some days) is “super cool”.

What if you could turn your lights on or off by using your voice? Control lights? Adjust the room’s temperature? These things and much more are all achievable by utilizing personal home assistants like the Amazon Echo. Though small in size (and modest in price), this little device offers many possibilities for people of all abilities to complete life tasks and help increase or maintain independence. The Echo, when paired with other smart home devices, has seemingly limitless opportunities and applications to make life tasks easier—especially for people with disabilities who would otherwise require staff assistance. Over the next several months, we’ll be covering individual experiences with these devices to help spread the word on what they can do and show how people are using (and adapting) them to reach their goals.

Val’s Smart Room

Recently, we shared a story about The Phoenix Residence’s foray into personal home assistive devices. The main catalyst for their adoption of Echo devices and planned use of additional smart home technology was Val. When moving in, she not only brought the usual furniture and accessories, but tech, too! Val, along with her parents, have created an environment that helps her complete certain tasks independently and stay connected to family.

“I wouldn’t even use the word independence. I would say more freedom. More being able to feel like an adult because I’m able to do so much stuff on my own thanks to a device like Alexa.” - Val

Val utilizes the Amazon Echo Show along with smart bulbs and plugs to control her room. “Alexa, turn on my bedroom lights,” she says as she approaches her doorway in her power wheelchair. The lights, after a brief second, turn on. Moving toward her desk, she sits in front of her Echo Show while she talks about the different ways she can control her environment herself.