It’s a brilliant concept.
A new smart home for those with disabilities opened on Long Island and has quickly become a “game changer” for the everyday lives of its residents.
“If it wasn’t for this house, I wouldn’t be as independent as I am now,” 33-year-old AJ Duran, who recently moved into the Shirley property in Suffolk County, told The Post.
The four-bedroom property, which is operated by the locally operated organization Free, has been decked out with high-tech appliances and voice-controlled utilities for residents to make the most of rather than calling for the home’s aids to handle minuscule tasks.
Its sink, refrigerator, stove tops, oven, and blinds are all Bluetooth-controlled and can be remotely turned on and off for residents from different communities across LI.
The oven door opens sideways rather than top to bottom, making it possible for wheelchair users to cook in it, while the sink and stove top are vertically adjustable at the simple touch of a button.
“People who perhaps could benefit the most from modern technology often have the least access to it,” Free’s CEO Robert Budd said of the thousands kicked into making the April opened house electronically sophisticated.
He added that homes like this, especially on Long Island, are few and far between — and that the facility’s success is moving Free toward opening more. The house’s upgrades were funded through Medicaid, and its sink, stove, blinds, and oven were the priciest features at several thousand dollars combined.
Other features, like the linking of Amazon Alexa devices, individual climate controls for each room, and likewise smart devices, were comparatively cost-efficient, Budd added.
“This home was our commitment to making sure that these people could have greater autonomy…that kind of independence leads to greater emotional well-being, and greater emotional well-being leads to greater overall health.”
Duran, who has cerebral palsy and relies on a wheelchair for mobility, is making the most of the easy-to-use gadgets inside her home’s new kitchen.
“It’s opened so many doors and things for me that I couldn’t be able to do before. Now I can access the kitchen, I can make a sandwich on my own,” Duran said.
Using an Alexa device to learn recipes at a work station in the kitchen, Duran is now discovering for the first time that she has a culinary passion. She’s been cooking up a storm with dinners like pasta and meat sauce, turkey in a smart airfryer, and taco nights for her roommates.
“I’m loving my independence and not having to ask people to do me a meal,” she said.
“This new house and everything in it is really the best thing Free has ever done for people like me.”
Alyssa Slade, who is moving in on Wednesday, is most looking forward to the easy access multimedia aspect of the home, which has Amazon Alexa devices in each room.
“Everything in here is so beautiful,” the 32-year-old with autism said while touring her new residence on Monday. “I love music, I love music videos, and I like TV shows…that’s the most exciting part for me.”
The home’s onsite supervisor, Deborah Brock, said that innovative equipment is already changing the demeanor of the two residents who Slade and one other will join in the coming weeks.
“It’s really exciting, especially for AJ…she comes and goes when she wants, eats when she wants, and has access to everything for herself,” Brock said.
“It’s encouraging these people to do more for themselves than depend on others for assistance. It’s definitely a switch, definitely a game changer.”
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