By CEDIA - Fri, Jan 3, 2025 - Blog
Smart home technology improves accessibility, but the costs can be prohibitive. By hiring a CEDIA professional, your system will be efficient and cost-effective.
We’ll cover how smart technology can make your home more accessible, the associated costs and the importance of professional help.
Smart home technology improves accessibility in multiple ways. For example, voice-activated hubs help you turn on appliances or lighting without touching them. Smart doorbells also provide visual clues, such as flashing lights, for those who can’t hear the ring. Plus, some smart security systems incorporate safety measures, such as smartphone alerts for dangers like a break-in or water leak.
Want to know more about how technology improves accessibility? Visit our smart home accessibility page and our accessibility FAQs.
The first expense you’ll incur is purchasing smart accessibility home devices. These may be widely available, adaptable products, such as a Google Home or Amazon Alexa-enabled device, or specialist technology like an Earzz alarm for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In addition to buying the equipment, you’ll need to consider installation costs within your budget. While some smart technology is suitable for DIY installation, using a professional installer reduces the risk of anything going wrong. In the long run, paying a professional is cost-effective because they’ll ensure everything works as intended. Trying to install it yourself sometimes means you’ll spend time and energy setting things up and then have to pay someone to fix your mistake.
Smart technology can result in ongoing costs, such as needing a professional for software updates, maintenance or repairs. Give yourself room in your budget to pay for future adjustments, so that you can keep your home accessible.
The more complex your smart home system, the more likely you’ll need professional help. Attempting to do things DIY increases the risk of incorrect installation – especially if you have a system with multiple elements interacting with each other.
Plus, there are safety concerns with some DIY installations. While it’s OK to set up some out-of-the-box products, you must use an electrician for anything that you’ll have to wire.
If you use a CEDIA-certified professional, you can be sure they know what they’re doing. Having undergone appropriate training, CEDIA Smart Home Professionals will be able to tailor your system to your specific accessibility needs, optimise it for performance and future-proof it.
Want to see what CEDIA members can do? Take a look at the Grand Central Towers inclusive living project, completed with CEDIA’s Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standard guidelines in mind.
Hiring a CEDIA professional will increase your upfront costs. But it’ll likely be cheaper in the long run. When you have a professionally installed system, you’ll enjoy long-term savings as you’re less likely to require adjustments in the future.
When you work with an installer, you’ll also have a better understanding of hidden costs. Installers will give you a quote for all their labour and equipment. Buying individual devices separately will lead to extra costs later if they’re incompatible or require lots of workarounds to talk to each other.