If you experience accessibility issues and haven’t invited Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant into your home, it’s time to welcome a whole new era of independence into your life.
Mainstream voice assistants like Siri (Apple), Alexa (Amazon) and Google Assistant are interactive tools that respond to the user’s voice and can assist with a variety of simple day-to-day chores at home. These AI assistants are incredibly effective at breaking down barriers for individuals who have mobility challenges, allowing them to perform everyday tasks independently.
Best of all, these voice assistants are easy to use and are surprisingly affordable. Let’s take a closer look at how this transformational technology can make life easier for you at home.
How voice assistants enhance accessibility
One of the top reasons voice assistants have made waves in accessibility circles is that they offer hands-free control. Users can interact with the technology without having to touch a screen or keyboard, and instead issue verbal commands for everyday tasks such as setting an alarm, making calls and checking the weather outside. They can even be used to read email messages and news articles aloud, perform voice-based internet searches and broadcast the search results.
To operate, voice assistants use speech recognition and natural language processing to interpret spoken commands and respond with the relevant information or actions. By enabling users to communicate naturally, these voice assistants offer a seamless and human-like experience that simplifies life around the home.
Ten things a voice assistant can help you do hands-free at home
- Check the weather and news
- Offer appointment reminders
- Provide medication reminders
- Compose a shopping list
- Control lights
- Adjust thermostat
- Operate locks and doors
- Enable hands-free phone calling
- Turn on the TV
- Call for emergency assistance
Top three mainstream voice assistants
Alexa by Amazon is the company’s voice-activated virtual assistant, designed to simplify everyday tasks while providing seamless integration with a variety of the company’s services: online shopping, Prime Video, Kindle/Audible, Amazon music and more. The system responds to spoken commands through Echo devices (and other compatible products) to perform tasks like playing music, answering questions, setting timers and reminders, and more. Click here to view Amazon Echo devices.
Siri is the voice-activated virtual assistant integrated across a number of Apple consumer products including the iPhone, iPad, Mac computer, Apple Watch and HomePod devices. Users activate the assistant by saying “Hey Siri” to send messages, make calls, set reminders, answer questions and more. Click here to view Apple HomePod devices.
Google Assistant is Google’s answer to AI-powered virtual assistants, available on Android devices and Google Home speakers. Google Assistant can be used to perform hands-free search requests, answer questions and more. Click here to view Google Home speakers and smart home products.
All three voice assistants can also be used to easily turn yesterday’s traditional home systems into tomorrow’s ultra-efficient smart home environments. For a small investment, users can manage one or more of their home’s lights, thermostats, locks, cameras, TVs and more, all simply by issuing intuitive voice commands. The amount of stress and effort one of these systems can save an individual with accessibility issues at home can be astronomical.
Which voice assistant to choose
Any home can benefit from welcoming Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant into its family. The system you choose comes down to which one speaks most to you. If you’re an Apple loyalist with a Mac, iPhone and Apple TV, Siri would be the intuitive first choice as your HomePod will integrate with all your other Apple devices. If you are brand or system agnostic, research all three.
Tom’s Guide extensively reviewed all three assistants and ranked its findings in the chart below. Read the full article to learn more about the strengths of each system.
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| Alexa | Google Assistant | Siri | |
| General Knowledge | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Music & Podcasts | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| Entertainment | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Ordering Food | 2nd | 1st | 2nd |
| Online Shopping | 1st | 1st | 2nd |
| Communications | 2nd | 2nd | 1st |
| Directions | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
| Smart Home | 1st | 1st | 2nd |
| Availability | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
| Voice Recognition | 2nd | 1st | 3rd |
| Extensibility | 1st | 2nd | 2nd |
| No. of First-Place Wins | 5 | 6 | 3 |
Do you have any experience using Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant at home and would like to share your insights? Post your thoughts on one of our social media pages so that others can benefit from what you’ve learned.
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