OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Technology makes life easier: smartphones give people immediate access to the internet, Roombas automatically clean rooms and smart-home systems can help people control their houses with just their voice.
Emory Valley Center in Oak Ridge is using technology in similar ways to make life easier for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Instead of just giving people access to Facebook or Twitter though, this technology helps in other ways.
Some helps dispense the correct amount of medication for people, to make sure they take the right dose. Other devices make the spoken word more clear to help people communicate more effectively.
Off-the-shelf devices like the Echo Dot or a Ring doorbell device can help people with disabilities live independently.