For many, having smart home devices like smart lights are a gimmick or just a convenience nice to have, however, for many they are the difference between an accessible home they can live in independently and a home they are dependent on others.

The How smart home technology made my home more accessible - The Verge article got me thinking about the smart home technology I have implemented to make my home more accessible.

As someone with severe sight loss, I depend on smart home tech daily and have embraced it to make the home more accessible for me. I have smart lights throughout, with sensors turning them on and off as I move rooms, with the lighting levels set to suit me based on the time of the day. 

This is further enhanced with smart locks and alarm system, allowing me to know if I have left any windows open, or someone is in the garden. It provides reassurance and a sense of being more in control of the environment. The smart lock means I don't have to struggle putting the key into the lock and can leave the house with just my smart watch, no keys to carry and loose..

Smart heating with individual room controls, not only helps with being able to control the temperature accessibly, but also allows me to monitor energy usage and make tweaks to be more efficient and sustainable. I have gone a step further and have my heating automatically turn off if a window is opened in a room, until the window is closed.

Finally, the robots are taking over. I have robot vacuums and lawn mowers to help keep the house and garden looking good. No trying to navigate the house with a vacuum and missing spots or depending on my wife to do all the housework, the robot vacuum cleans overnight.

There are still many things I depend on my family for, but having smart tech remove many of the daily tasks really helps with my independence.