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October 30, 2020

How the Elderly and Disabled are Leveraging Technology in the New World

Innovative robot vacuum cleaners

People with disabilities and the elderly meet barriers of all types, but new technologies are helping lower, or even entirely remove, many of these barriers. Technology in the new world has advanced its capabilities to help humans in all walks of life and continuously offers various benefits to every individual. 

Here are some examples of how technology has made everything more convenient and more accessible for people with disabilities and older adults in their daily lives. 

Mobility 

Robotic wheelchairs or electric scooters greatly assist elders and disabled people. These self-navigating wheelchairs and scooters help them in their homes and out in the community to move along and travel to wherever they need to go. These wheelchairs cannot collapse or disassemble. 

Other increasingly useful and popular mobility devices are autonomous vehicles or robotic cars. These autonomous vehicles can drive without human intervention or with easy navigation on behalf of the driver.  

Their many advantages are reasons to embrace self-driving cars. From making our roads safer, efficient parking, bearable commute, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and cutting domestic air travel, autonomous vehicles benefit humans most, especially elders and people with disabilities.   

Work and Study 

Assistive technology (AT) is designed to help students and employees with disabilities. Whether it’s physical impairments or cognitive problems, AT now has a broader range of apps and tools. 

Assistive technology for work and school includes electronic worksheets, online courses, talking calculators, digital recorders, text-to-speech, speech-to-text tools, and many more. 

Many AT tools target a specific struggle. For example, a person who has difficulty holding a pen to write can use dictation technology. As they speak, words will appear on the screen. Conversely, text-to-speech makes it easier for people who have difficulty with screens to find out what’s on screen. 

AT allows employees with disabilities to function more effectively in their workplace. Workers who have lost their vision now have next-generation computer screen readers available to them. Workers with hearing impairments can use a program on smartphones or tablets that transcribes what's being spoken in one-to-one or group conversations. 

Hearing aids with Bluetooth connectivity can be paired with devices called streamers and connected to smartphones to make it easier to hear phone conversations. Another one is a Video Relay Service (VRS) which allows people with hearing impairments to communicate via phone or other video technologies to hearing people by using sign language rather than typed text. 

Workers who have motor skills impairment can utilise speech recognition software to use their voices for anything from creating reports or spreadsheets to searching the Web. For workers with an upper-body limitation, an exoskeletal arm tool supports their natural range of motion for jobs from assembly operation to laboratory tasks to office work. 

Mobile devices, like a smartphone or a digital tablet, already have a large selection of AT apps. For desktop and laptops, the software is accessible to use.  

Home

Smart Home Technology assists elders and disabled people in their homes. Smart Home Technology is essentially connected to the IoT (Internet of Things). The Internet of Things is the connection of devices that can be turned on and off via an Internet connection, allowing data sharing and receiving instructions.

“Smart Home technology makes daily living accessible to the elderly and people with disabilities.”

Having a smart home, accessibility for both elders and persons with disabilities are better than ever. Smart gadgets at home do this in three ways: smart assistants (Alexa or Siri), apps, and automation. 

Lock and unlock your door or via voice command. Control your TVs, music players, lights, temperatures, refrigerators, washing machines, and vacuums with the tap of a button. These are all possible now through smart technology and wireless connectivity.

Choose smart appliances and gadgets that are easy to operate, connect to the internet, and communicate with other network devices. Check smart appliances and gadgets best suited for IoT connectivity to work specifically on areas of your home. 

One of the best examples is a robotic vacuum that works automatically to clean your floors and other surfaces. Robotic vacuum cleaners are well-designed automatic gadgets that meet all the demands required to help you clean your home without a hassle. 

Innovative robot vacuum cleaners use smart sensors to map your home, devise the most energy-efficient route, set customisable cleaning zones, and stop themselves from falling down your stairs. They even recharge themselves. Robot vacuums really are one of the perfect gadgets for people with disabilities and older adults to stay safe in a clean home.  

Advancements in technology allow you to remain convenient, comfortable, and safe - no matter your condition. Smart home solutions and other new technology benefits, like robots, can make independent living possible for people with disabilities and elders. Robots have the potential to support elderly and disabled people most, especially at home where they spend the majority of their time. 

Roborock’s robot vacuums are loved by thousands of Australian’s. Check out our most advanced robot vacuum today and experience less time cleaning and more time living!