If you have a smart phone or a laptop, chances are you’re already familiar with voice activated virtual assistants like Bixby, Siri or Cortana. Amazon’s Alexa is the latest addition to this voice activated family of assistants and it’s quite the game changer in terms of gadgets for disabled people.
Benefits Of Using Alexa For Disabled Users
If you go search for “Amazon disability aids,” you’ll find things like walking canes, wheel chairs, medical rollators, and much, much more.
What you don’t see listed is the Alexa, which is a shame because this little device can be very help for those living with disabilities. Your Alexa can:
Essential Commands To Use With Amazon Alexa For Disabled People
We already know that the Alexa is one of the more useful gadgets for disabled users, but what are the must-know commands that’ll make your life a little easier and maybe more enjoyable?
Let’s take a look 7 essential commands that’ll help to make your life a little easier.
1. “Alexa, What’s In The news?”
You can stay up to date on the current goings on in the news and sports just by asking Alexa. The news and sports summary is updated each hour, so you’ll always have the latest news.
2. “Alexa, What Are The Side Effects For [Name Of Medication]?”
Whatever question you may have, Alexa can find an answer for it. This is very useful if you’re put on a new medication and can’t see the fine print on the fact sheet your pharmacist gives you.
3. “Alexa, Can You Tell Me A Funny Joke?”
There will be some days when you’re feeling down and you just need a good joke to brighten your mood. Just ask Alexa to tell you a joke and be amused by her wit and charm.
4. “Alexa, Set A Reminder To Take [Name Of Medication] At [Time].”
If you have a hard time remembering when to take your medication, you can ask Alexa to remind you. This doesn’t just work for medication. You can use Alexa to set timers for cooking, alarms for when to wake up, or even remind you when your next doctor’s appointment is approaching.
5. “Alexa, Play [Song].”
Sometimes you just need some good music to help put you in a better mood. Alexa can play anything you ask of her. You can specify what genre you’d like to listen to, what album or playlist, or even a specific song.
Not only can Alexa play music, but she can also play your favorite podcasts or audiobooks. For podcast, say: “Alexa, play [title of podcast] on [podcast directory i.e., Spotify or TuneIn]. For audiobooks, say: “Alexa, play [title of book] on [audiobook app].”
6. “Alexa, Call [Phone Number] Or [Name Of Contact].”
This is a very useful feature for those who live alone and cannot get to a phone. Let’s say you fall on the floor and you can’t get up by yourself. If your Alexa device is within range, you can call out for it to call someone from your contact list
7. “Alexa, Purchase [Product].”
This is a handy skill for those who don’t have transportation or they have difficulty getting out to go shopping. Voice activated purchasing can be disabled or you can set it up so that it asks for a pin number before the order is paid for.
Skills To Add To An Alexa For Disabled People
Not only can your Alexa listen to basic commands, you can also download “skills” to your device to give her more abilities. Some of our favorite skills include:
Ask My Buddy
You remember that “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercial from the 90s? Think of Ask My Buddy as one of those, except you don’t need to wear a not-so-fashionable necklace.
Just call out “Alexa, Ask My Buddy to alert [contact].” This command will send alerts via text, email, or voice mail to the designated contact. It should not be used as a substitute for calling 911.
Philips Hue
This skill does require the Philips Hue lights. However, as a disabled person who has difficulty getting around, sometimes turning a light on or off can be difficult. Simple ask “Alexa, turn off all Hue lights.”
Lyft And Uber
This is a great skill for your Alexa to have if don’t have reliable transportation and you need to go to the doctors or other appointments.
There are countless other skills you can have your Alexa learn. Simply check out the Alexa Skills section on Amazon and prepared to be amazed by how many cool things your Alexa can do.
Final Thoughts
Amazon’s Alexa is one of those devices you never knew you needed until you had it. Of all the gadgets for disabled people you may have, the Alexa is a game changer because it can do so many things for you. It doesn’t matter if you want to listen to an audiobook while you’re relaxing in the sun, or if you need to call an Uber for your doctor’s appointment.
Whatever you need done, chances are there’s a command for Alexa to do it. Best part is that you can download more skills for Alexa to learn, and more and more skills are being created every day.
If you’re thinking about getting an Alexa device but you’re not sure which is right for you, check out our buying guide for some ideas!
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