The Best Smart Assistive Devices for People With Disabilities

Someone in a wheelchair using their phone in a living room.

To many, smart-home devices seem like a luxury or a novelty — electronic gadgets that flip on your lights, tweak your thermostat to a comfy temperature, or announce package deliveries. But for anyone who lives with a disability, smart devices are a powerful enabler. These simple-to-use devices can be set up to take care of daily tasks, to keep users in touch with friends and caregivers, and to allow users to live a more independent and empowered life.

“Convenience for you is independence for me,” said Todd Stabelfeldt, CEO of C4 Database Management, who is quadriplegic and an avid smart-home user.

Stabelfeldt is one of 70 million US adults who live with a disability. He’s also one of the growing number of people who are tapping into smart-home technology to make it possible or easier to accomplish everyday tasks, from turning on lights to opening doors to turning on the TV.

For this guide, we spoke with members of the disabled community who have personal experience using smart-home devices. We also consulted more than a dozen other experts, including those who work with blind and deaf folks and people with developmental disabilities, as well as representatives from companies that provide products and services for the accessibility market. We relied on that input and our extensive background in smart-home topics to compile this short list of devices that we think have the potential to provide real benefits for those with disabilities.



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