The benefits of home security systems seem obvious – but have you ever wondered how someone who is hard of hearing can respond to a smoke alarm? Or how a person with vision impairment can make sure a burglar isn’t knocking on their door?
SafeHome.org has developed a guide that focuses on accessibility and home safety for people who are hard of hearing, have vision loss or deal with mobility impairments. Below are a few tips to follow so that people with special needs can lead an independent life at home:
Protecting Your Home: Vision Impairment Digital, voice-activated assistants are especially useful for vision accessibility. Install smart locks and smart lights – these devices let you secure your home without relying on your sight. For example, Alexa and Siri let people control security devices with just their voices. You can randomly turn the lights on and off so people think you’re walking around when you’re not.
Protecting Your Home: Mobility Impairments Those with mobility impairments might not be able to reach the door quickly or at all. Install smart doorbell cameras – this device allows you to see who is at the door and communicate remotely with visitors. You can operate it via Alexa or other digital assistants, using your voice and connect it to other smart devices.
Protecting Your Home: Hard Of Hearing For the hard of hearing, regular alarms do not fully serve their needs. Even if you wear a hearing aid, more than half of home fire deaths occur between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., which is when people are asleep without their special hearing device.
Install alarm “listeners” – this device functions by listening to smoke alarms go off and then notifies you on your phone accordingly. Hard-of-hearing-friendly listeners are especially useful since they can be connected to louder devices, bed shakers, flashing lights, and scrolling displays.