Elysia

Elysia moved into her own apartment and is working on increasing her independence at home as well as out of the house – at work or running errands. She sometimes misplaced her smartphone and found it stressful to ride the bus to work. With some help from her supports coordinator, she implemented a few smart devices that have made a significant difference in her life.

Elysia’s Goals

Following recipes for healthy meals
Anxiety management
Staying organized

Elysia chose to purchase:

A smart speaker in her kitchen (an Apple HomePod)
A smart watch (an Apple Watch) with cordless earbuds (Apple AirPods)

She already had a smartphone and a tablet.

A white woman looks at a box of spaghetti while leaning on a kitchen counter. A smart speaker is lit up in front of her. She is wearing a blue bandana on her head, glasses, and a black t-shirt with white hand-drawn designs on it. — Elysia reads a spaghetti box while listening to her smart speaker list the ingredients for a recipe.

Elysia asks her smart speaker to tell her jokes, play music, and read recipes aloud. She asks for the bus schedule and the weather, and sets reminders and alarms. She even uses the speaker to find her phone when it’s missing.

“The HomePod will help me if I can’t find my phone. I will talk to the HomePod for recipes. Or if I need help with something I will talk to it, like, ‘Hey, play music,’ while I’m cooking or cleaning,” Elysia explained when she first received the speaker.

A white woman sits on a couch wearing a smart watch and cordless earbuds. She looks down and touches her watch with her other hand. She is wearing a blue bandana on her head, glasses, and a black t-shirt with hand-drawn white designs. — Elysia listens to music using her smart watch and earbuds.

Elysia’s smart watch and earbuds pair together well to help her with her anxiety. The watch has a default function where it reminds her to “Breathe” at regular intervals throughout the day. With the earbuds, she listens to music on her commute which helps her tremendously on the crowded bus.

Elysia participated in one of PATF’s Money Clubs to learn about financial education. Here she describes how she saved for her assistive technology – the HomePod and the AirPods. Learn more about PATF’s financial education resources for people with disabilities.

Elysia saved her money to purchase her assistive technology. Learn more about funding options for smart home technology.

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Success Stories

Michael

Michael uses a smart speaker, a smart media streaming device, a smart TV, and smart switches to make phone calls and control everything from his lights to his TV.