Accessibility at Home

Apple has made assistive technology mainstream through the designing in accessibility features as standard into all of its’ platforms (iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS). Now, through the development and integration of HomeKit into the core of these platforms the dream of a mainstream accessible house is a reality. HomeKit is Apple's home automation platform for controlling smart home products with apps and Siri voice commands. By leveraging the inbuilt assistive technologies of Apples’ devices with off the shelf smart home products, people with a temporary, permanent or increasing disability are able and enabled to undertake every day activities in innovative ways. This book shares some examples of what is possible, which we hope sparks your interest and imagination about creating an accessible house. Many of the photos in this book come from a concept accessible house which was set up within the exhibition area of 2015 ‘NDIS New World Conference: Disability in the 21st Century.’ The concept provided an authentic context in which to experience the implementation of a smart accessible house.