Simple way everyday tech is changing the lives of blind Australians

Smart technology is seemingly taking over our homes. For the majority it’s a luxury but for those without sight it’s changing lives.

The ability to request information with just your voice is not to be underestimated, especially when it comes to those with sight disabilities.

Mr Edwards told 9News smart technology has recently become a key part of his daily life.

“Whether that’s at home or at work, or when I’m out and about using the devices is a key aspect to be able to have the confidence and the independence, to be able to do a broad range of things like everybody else in the community,” he said.

Mr Edwards said information that was readily available to the majority, such as Googling something on your phone, was often a major barrier for people who were blind or had low vision.

“To rely on others to be able to access that information is just not satisfactory. It’s very frustrating,” he said.

“Being able to use your voice to access a broad range of information and get an instant response that’s clear and understandable is amazing.”

Mr Edwards said he used Amazon’s Echo Show at home, employing smart assistant Alexa to perform simple tasks and receive important information.

“When you’re getting dressed in the morning and you’re blind, you don’t have access to a phone to be able to look at, and knowing what the weather will be like will inform what you’ll get dressed in today,” he said.

“Additionally, the ability to easily tune into a news brief, to be able to quickly hear what the key highlights of the news of the day, it’s really important.”

Mr Edwards said having his own virtual assistant had made traveling across town easier than before.

“I just ask it ‘When’s the next train from Fairfield station’ and Alexa will tell me,” he said.

“Something that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it makes such a big difference to be able to have that information on demand and accessible all the time.”

While the exact future of smart assistants is unclear, Mr Edwards said there were still some limitations.

“Some of the things that are very challenging for people with sight disabilities are booking travel and booking airlines and booking hotels, and those sorts of things,” he said.

Mr Edwards is calling on the Australian government to update its policies on mainstream and specialist technology, making Alexa more accessible to those with sight disabilities.

“Government policy today doesn’t keep up with the speed of technological change, and a lot of government programs fund specialist equipment specific to people’s assistant technology,” he said.

“I think that if we really want to change the dial for disability and ensure that people have the right support through technology, the government needs to recognise that some of that technology will be delivered through mainstream technologies that have fantastic accessibility features built into it.

“Even that little bit of independence that tech like Alexa can provide builds some confidence to be able to access a whole lot of things, helping our community be more mobile, connected and independent.”

It’s not just the vision impaired reaping the benefits of smart assistants like Alexa. Mr Edwards said the young and elderly could also take advantage of voice assistants.

“To be able to teach them a simple or voice command is really approachable and easy to learn,” he said.

Smart voice technology is growing rapidly, so much so that organisations like Vision Australia have specialised tech experts to help guide new users through the process.

David Woodbridge is the resident assistive tech expert at Vision Australia.

He told 9News his voice assistant helped him get his family ready for the day, with over a dozen Amazon devices scattered throughout his home.

“Once the kids are off, I’ll often use my devices to play a spoken word book through a service like Audible, a podcast or even just listen to the radio,” he said.

“For lunch or dinner Alexa is really useful in the kitchen, helping me with timers to make sure I cook my meals correctly, and giving me recipe tips if I’m looking for inspiration.”

Throughout the day, Mr Woodbridge has multiple reminders announced by Alexa, with Amazon’s whisper mode activated at night so he can ask the time without waking the house.

“I’ve got an alarm that goes off in the kitchen, which basically says it’s coffee time,” he said.

“Between then and about 7.30, I’ve got lots of little reminders because Alexa’s the only smart speaker that actually reads out reminders and repeat them once, twice or three times.

“I’m reminded that I need to make lunches for all of my children by about 7.00. Then it’s got the countdown, from 7.00am to 7.25am, to get dressed, Alexa makes sure we’re all running on time.”

Smart assistants aren’t limited to supplying information, they can also help you control items around your home such as lighting, air conditioning and even the vacuum.

Many products can be adapted to function as “smart” by using a WiFi-enabled device or adapter.

As of now, if someone with a vision disability wants to take advantage of smart assistant technology they’ll likely need some help.

“You’ll need help from a sighted person to help you manage the app and set up your profile — If you have any issues with your WiFi network or you mis-tap, maybe your password, you’ll get frustrated,” Mr Woodbridge told 9News.

“Once Alexa is set up, it’s so easy but those first setup steps are critically important.”

In addition to Mr Woodbridge’s own podcast Talking Tech, those looking to learn more can listen to Dot to Dot and Echo Tips, both created to assist beginners wanting to take the plunge.