Video doorbell means strangers can be safely screened

Situation

Aria is in her 50s and lives on her own with her dog, Nero. After moving to a new property, she has been adjusting her living space to accommodate her low vision, prioritising safety and independence. Over the years, Aria has successfully integrated voice-controlled smart lighting (installed by Stretchy Tech) into her daily routine, using it confidently. In her new home, she was having trouble identifying visitors due to her low vision. To find out who was at her door, Aria needed to open the main door to peer through the screen, something she found difficult and risky.

Aria sought the advice of a Stretchy Tech occupational therapist (OT) to help her achieve her goals of being more independent and increasing her safety and access.

Solution

After assessing both Aria and her home, the OT recommended a video doorbell.

Using the video doorbell, Aria would be able to clearly see and identify visitors via the app on her smart device without needing to open the door, directly addressing the difficulties posed by her low vision.

Falls pose a higher risk to Aria, so the doorbell’s audio feature would allow her to communicate with visitors without needing to physically approach the door.

By allowing Aria to interact with visitors remotely, the video doorbell would minimise the risk of opening the door to strangers, increasing her security.

Aria would be able to monitor her front door from anywhere in the house, providing peace of mind.

The video doorbell seamlessly integrates with Aria’s existing smart home system, making it user-friendly and accessible.

Aria demonstrated good control of her smart device and given she was already using existing technology recommended by Stretchy Tech, the solution was an ideal fit for her.

Outcome

The Google Nest Doorbell gave Aria greater control of her own safety and independence, maintaining the comfort that comes with using familiar technology. This increased the likelihood of a positive outcome and Aria reported feeling much safer with this technology in place.

Additional tech or infrastructure requirements that were considered as part of the implementation of the solution

Aria was already using Google Home and had existing Google smart speakers, including a display hub smart speaker, which supported the use of the doorbell.

Was there anything that didn't go to plan? How was this overcome?

The installation of this solution went smoothly. It is worth nothing that Aria was already using Google Home and had existing Google smart speakers, including a display hub smart speaker, which supported the use of the doorbell.
After the installation we needed to make some adjustments to the senstivity of the doorbell as it was picking up unwanted movement in the street, this can be done in the google home app.

Summary pointers for OTs, technicians, and the intended user (person with disability)

1. The technology described above has worked well for Aria, so we think it’s worth consideration by OTs, technicians, and persons with disability, in similar situations.
2. We chose to use a battery operated doorbell rather than a hardwired doorbell in this case. Both options have pros and cons and it is worth considering which one is suited to the individual circumstances. The benefits of a battery operated doorbell are that it can be relocated easily if the person moves homes, keeping the cost of installation low. The disadvantage is that it needs to be removed from the holder and charged every four months (on average).