Policy Position Paper 2
Smart home technology includes environmental adaptations allowing remote control of
home appliances, safety monitoring, electronic communication as well as automated task cueing.
All these features are important for individuals with disability. Recent research indicates that
people, including the disabled, do not want automatic appliances and lights, instead they are
seeking a common, portable, user-friendly tool allowing them to access home environmental
controls, manage tasks, operate entertainment devices and mange tasks (Gentry, 2009). The
future of smart home technology will be developing a common application that integrates control
of all these home activities seamlessly. Within the disability community, smart home means
applying electronic assistive technology, using electronic aids to daily living, assistive
technology for cognition and other tools offering support to people with disability in a home
setting. Smart home technology for persons with disability is an important and growing field as
these people rightfully campaign for self-efficacy and determination. Smart homes are becoming
a promise of increased independence and minimizes the need for a caregiver provision in the
home.
One theoretical concept used in investigating the issue is “the story line of social
construction” derived from the readings for learning “Perceptions of Science and Technology”.
This concept argues that developers co-construct technological artifacts with non-humans to
meet social welfares (Andrew Jamison, 2011). In this case, futuristic smart houses in Australia
will be an advancement from the current smart home technologies today to satisfy the social
needs of the disabled. Other theoretical concepts applied in investigating the issue are the two
dominating opposing sets of assumptions about technology; determinism and instrumentalism,
also derived from the readings for learning “Sustainable Technology” Instrumentalism shows

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Smart Housing for people with disability in Australia by 2020

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