Stunning Ways Voice Technology Helps Differently Abled People

“Alexa, order a pizza for me please.” There you go. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your pizza once it is delivered. This is the power of the voice technology and smart devices working as digital voice assistants. And the range of solutions or possibilities is extraordinary if given a thought.

Today, what we are discussing through this article is simply magnificent considering different facets of problems disabled or differently abled people have been struggling for this long in their lives. They can be ‘The Tony Stark’ on their own pushing orders to their own ‘Jarvis’, the smart speakers powered through the voice first technology. From making calls or sending messages to the caretakers to lock/unlock the doors or ordering what they wish for has never been that easy.

The incredibly popular devices today are Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and the later are used by all kinds of human species these days. Google Home has been challenging Amazon to a great extent and Apple introduced HomePod to be in the market share warfare. Let us take a look at some of the stunning stats about voice technology.

Stats Look Encouraging Indeed

• Assistive technologies market for vision and reading aids is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2015 to 2020.
• It was estimated that 40%-50% searches will be made without a screen via voice search by the end of 2020.
• 72% of people who own voice-activated speakers say that their devices are used as part of their daily routines.
• 89% of people with voice assistants talk to them everyday, and 33% talk to them more than 5 times a day.

It is apparent to say that voice-controlled intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) are the most extraordinary devices to be used in Everyday Life for normal as well as differently abled people. Let us now have a brief look at how Alexa has been helping to transform lives of them in different ways.

How Alexa Transforms Lives of Differently Abled Humans?

Patients with Chronic Illness & Cerebral Issues

Integration of voice technology with the Internet of Things (IoT) opens up a spectrum of possibilities which could help people with brain damage and people suffering from various chronic illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis, kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, lupus, and multiple sclerosis. Heard of smart home automation? Yes, a popular concept and prime example of IoT technology which could blend perfectly with the power of voice. With a simple voice command, they can turn on or turn off the lights, gadgets, lock/unlock doors without moving. Perfect for people who could not move, isn’t it? All thanks to custom Alexa skill development, IoT technology with Raspberry Pi coding.

• Control appliances remotely through voice commands.
• Set up alarms, timers, reminders to manage to-do lists and routine effectively.
• Order your needs, cravings, wishful items online via voice search.
• Play music, run podcasts, get updates about weather, scores, news on-the-go.
• Possibility to do voice-powered banking transactions too.

Alexa for Visually Impaired or Blind Human

You might get stunned by the fact that there are around 285 million people suffering for partial or complete loss of vision. The opportunity to transform their lives is absolutely huge. Voice assistants in the form of smart speakers flushes the need of interacting with the keyboard and screens. It helps people to access the information effortlessly and saves time. The power of voice unshackles their interest in doing things which they never ever can think of, from reading books to making personal notes.

• Custom Alexa skills to read books and novels.
• Get news, listen to jokes, updates, and motivational quotes at any time.
• Make important and customary notes for caretakers.
• Play and enjoy music and other infotainment systems via voice command.

Alexa in Classrooms for Kids Suffering from Autism

A disability, which is seen in kids, that could damage the overall development, social and communication skills. It is seen in kids with a tender age and can affect them throughout the lifecycle. What’s better than the voice technology to let them talk the way they want and improve their speaking practice? Voice enabled devices like Amazon Echo or Echo Dot could open a new way of treating behavior of kids along with speaking practice to boost their confidence.

• Alexa helps and motivates kids to speak clearly, slowly and improves vocabulary.
• Kids can play various motivational games for learning.
• Alexa helps kids to practice pronunciation.
• Kids can grow better with time management with Alexa by managing their routines.

Alexa for The Elderly

Come on, we all have to face it sooner or later. The challenges elderly people are facing right now could be worse when our time comes. Voice technology is doing significantly to make their lives easier as we speak. A voice speaker is just not a tool, but a real life digital companion for the eldery people. Many times the elderly feel isolated, helpless, and lonely too. Technological solutions like smart homes and IPAs can help them live independently and easily to an extent. Intelligent voice assistants leveraging the Artificial Intelligence technology, which can unlock the access to various home appliances, cars, etc.

• Elderly can manage their healthcare needs.
• Set reminders for medication, pills, appointments, sleep monitoring, etc.
• Nonverbal communication with caretakers.
• Offers administrative, clinical, and emotional support.
• Track records of blood pressure, sugar readings, etc.

Final Say…

Voice technology itself has come of age these days. A massive transformation is seen nowadays where these digital assistants are now seen running on an OS which is powered by AI technology. The reason is to foster the capability to listen, observe, and collect information on-the-go along with retrieval of needful information from various sources with the use of the internet.

It would be so wrong to say that these intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) can replace the human caregivers. However, it is apparent how differently abled people can enhance their lives and have a sense of happiness with freedom.

How can IndiaNIC help?

Ever since 1997, IndiaNIC Infotech has been focusing on enhancing the lives of humans by overcoming the glaring problems with the help of technological innovations. Proud to boast the AI-ML experts and voice skills developers, we are looking forward to an opportunity to show what we can offer in this incredible technology domain, for personal lives as well as for business.

If you have any questions, ideas, or interest surrounding the voice skills development and integration with IoT, Artificial Intelligence, etc., we will be happy to help you!!

Originally published at https://www.indianic.com on December 9, 2020.