Smart home technology can be more than just a luxury
NDIS participants can improve their living situations with smart home technology, from high-end, bespoke solutions all the way to plug-and-play IoT products. Sean Carroll looks at how this technology works.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced in 2013 by the Gillard Labor Government and was officially launched in 2016, allowing those living with a disability to access funding and support that might not have been available before.
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As then Prime Minister Julia Gillard said when introducing the bill to parliament: “This is a reform whose time has come, a reform that will deliver significant benefits to people with disabilities, to their carers, their families and to the wider Australian community.”
Nearly a decade has passed, and NDIS funding has seen many Australians access help that they couldn’t beforehand. One element of the funding that is starting to see increased use and interest is how smart home technology can improve the lives of those living with a disability.
The NDIS has several home and living supports that it can offer recipients, from smaller home modifications up to specialist disability accommodation (SDA) which is designed to help people with extreme functional impairments. SDA residences are the first touchpoint for residential integrators as they typically involve higher-end bespoke smart home solutions, like Control4 and Crestron. This doesn’t mean that off-the-shelf or contractor-grade solutions don’t work, however, and there are several benefits to using a range of smart home assistive technologies (AT).
At the 2023 CEDIA Tech Summit in Gold Coast, CEDIA regional development independent consultant, Australia and New Zealand, Paul Skelton, said that disability accommodation work is a huge focus area for the association, and he believes it can further highlight the role of the integrator.
In a follow-up conversation, Paul says that CEDIA acknowledges the transformative power of smart home technology in elevating the quality of life for people living with a disability: “The approach to NDIS/SDA projects differs slightly from conventional smart home projects. The emphasis shifts towards solutions that empower individuals, enabling them to live independently and comfortably in their homes.
“In addressing the specific needs of people living with disabilities, installations prioritise functionalities that may seem routine to able-bodied individuals but are crucial for enhancing the quality of life for others.”
Considerations for smart home technology in NDIS/SDA projects include:
- Accessibility solutions
- Safety and emergency assistance
- Independent living support
- Network access and connectivity
- Education and training
There has been a notable increase in interest in the disability sector among integrators, and the number of projects in this area has grown, according to the 2023/24 CEDIA Market Research Insights for Australia and New Zealand.
The SDA has its very own design standard for smart home technology, but CEDIA and its volunteers have produced a set of recommendations to optimise the use of smart home technology for those living with a disability.
“By offering integrators a comprehensive framework, our goal is to ensure that technology is not just a feature but a strategic tool, enhancing accessibility and convenience for those living with a disability,” Paul explains.

Grand Central Towers won the CEDIA Award for Best Health, Sustainability or Wellness Project, APAC, 2023. Created by eXperience ONE, it was the first SDA endeavor seeking CEDIA member certification, setting a new standard for SDA smart homes.
An example where smart home technology has improved the lives of those living with a disability through SDA funding is Casa Capace disability living, developed through the DPN Group. Designed with the intention of rolling out 1,500 homes across Australia, Casa Capace homes are made to suit the different needs of the people living in them.
The houses use the KNX ecosystem and Apple’s HomeKit web of solutions to give residents a fully automated living solution. Ivory Egg, distributor of technical building solutions, was responsible for fitting out these homes with smart home technology.
“The job was heavily specified with Apple in focus and the reason for that was that the entire house works completely off Siri,” Ivory Egg national technical and training manager Simon Harvey explained after finishing the pilot Casa Capace project.
“Residents can control lighting, blinds, intercoms, security and AV which are all standard in a smart home. But we’ve added another level on top of this; it also controls the opening and closing of doors, the heights of benches, surfaces and more.”
Residents can literally move surfaces to a more suitable level with voice control. If a resident is in a wheelchair, they can control the height of a bench or stovetop to bring it down to the preferred level. Dekton benches, which are made out of heavy porcelain, have motors underneath them that are fully height adjustable and can lift as much as one tonne.
The benches, like most of the automation in the home, were designed with safety in mind and there are sensors throughout the houses, including in the adjustable benches so if there’s something underneath, like a leg or a wheelchair, the bench will detect it and reset back to its original height.
While the high-end features are an amazing innovation, there are some cases where simple automation tasks really elevate the living experience for residents. Ingress and egress access through automated door locks or the ability to control the shower with voice commands can give residents the freedom to complete tasks they may not have been able to previously. During the pilot of the Casa Capace houses, a resident was thrilled that they were able to have a shower by themselves for the first time in years, with voice commands opening the door and turning on the shower.
Disability Services Consulting (DSC) principal consultant Brent Woolgar works with a range of disability accommodations in the NDIS home and living jurisdiction, and he’s amazed with what AT has been able to do for recipients.
He tells the story of his son, an NDIS recipient, who was interested in using AT in his day-to-day life before a consultant told him that his best bet was to move into a place that already had technology installed, or pay something close to $60,000 to install a proprietary system.
Since his son wasn’t eligible for SDA funding (he was 15 years old at the time), something only about 6% of the NDIS cohort are eligible for, Brent and his son turned to off-the-shelf solutions, which were able to deliver a high level of automation for a fraction of the cost.
“The experience of going through that process generated the birth of OTShelf, a social enterprise that’s focused on using home automation to help fill the niche of NDIS participants who can benefit from using smart home technology but don’t have access to SDA funding,” Brent explains.
“We had a classic example with OTShelf where a young man was paying a support worker for three hours a day (the legal minimum shift) to meet him at the front door, help him get inside, turn the lights on and control the climate. After the start, the support worker had very little to do for the remainder of the shift. We introduced him to a few automation technologies and all of a sudden, the worker wasn’t needed, and that individual was able to save about $45,000 a year.”
In October 2019, the NDIS introduced an option for the funding and supply of nominated AT support of between $1,500 and $5,000. This funding includes nine general AT items across four levels of AT needs complexity and is available on a case-to-case basis.
The research paper, The role of smart home assistive technologies in supporting ageing in place and disability housing by the Australia Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) was released in 2021 and aimed to look at how AT can be used in both the disability and aged care sectors to reduce the need for support services.
“This project identified a sustained gap in piloting and development of smart home assistive technologies government policy. This has resulted in a limited consumer base for the economic evaluation of smart home AT,” the research found.
“The lack of clear policy frameworks and insufficient coordination has resulted in an ad hoc and piecemeal implementation practice with many who could potentially benefit not having the skill, knowledge or financial ability to invest.”
Brent believes that the opportunities in this space are endless, especially when looking at each individual’s daily routine, examining how AT can help improve it and the money that could be saved by cutting down on support.
He adds that a lot of the features that can help those living with a disability can work right out of the box with no additional programming needed.
“We’re also having a lot of success integrating lights with alarms as a visual alarm, giving those who may have hearing impairments an additional level of security,” he says.
“Once we get a bit more involved with the technology, something we’re hoping to do – as OTShelf grows – is integrate thermostats and have the HVAC work automatically, regardless of the control.”
It’s not all smooth sailing with IoT control solutions, as the AHURI report discovered. One of the biggest issues with IoT devices as a whole is security and data privacy, a major sticking point for the entire industry at the moment.

Some smart home technology gives users the ability to move benches and surfaces up and down to a level that suits their needs.
Because of this, Brent only uses Apple’s HomeKit in his house, but it’s up to the individual, or the smart home consultant, to do their own research and decide what control solution to use.
Regardless of the solution, another issue is the number of updates needed for the different devices. If the end user isn’t tech-savvy, they may wake up one day and see that one or more of the devices aren’t working. If they didn’t have a backup plan or if there isn’t a way to access a critical part of the house, that raises major concerns.
“I come from an engineering background and I’m confident that the software that sits on the Apple Watch that detects seizures is capable enough to trust. For a lot of people who don’t have that level of comfort, they may not want to rely on technology for such an important service,” Brent says.
Another issue is ensuring that the end users are competent enough to use the technology. To do this, there must be some level of training and help available after installing the solutions. To help end users understand the technology and stay on top of all software updates, OTShelf is considering releasing a subscription service that will deliver those benefits.
CEDIA’s Paul Skelton says that the association recognises the importance of knowledge and skill development among integrators and associated stakeholders working in this space: “As part of its future plans, CEDIA will look to develop education programs that focus on the unique requirements and considerations of smart home technology installations for people living with disabilities.”
As the technology grows, both at the lower-cost and bespoke SDA level, the disability sector will continue to benefit from smart home automation. The next step is all about awareness and getting people to understand how technology can promote independence, accessibility and quality of life for those living with a disability.
This article can be found in Edition One of Connected magazine, available now.
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