Home Assistant Podcast Smart Home Automation for Accessibility with Thomas
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Sep 16, 2025 A guest shares their inspirational journey of building an accessible smart home, featuring innovative projects like a ChatGPT-powered smart mirror. The discussion highlights unique challenges faced by individuals with vision impairments and the role of smart lighting in enhancing visibility. Insights on using voice assistants, integration with Apple products, and practical automation solutions are explored. Personal stories from the community emphasize how technology can improve accessibility and everyday living challenges, inspiring innovation and shared experiences.
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Hobby Lab Led To A Ready Home
- Thomas started Home Assistant around 2018 and tested many bulbs at his parents' house to learn what worked.
- He used that lab to buy an apartment already well-decorated with smart lights when he moved out.
Bulb Choice Is Tradeoffs Not Universals
- Different smart bulb brands have tradeoffs: color quality, price, and ease of resetting vary widely.
- Thomas finds IKEA Trådfri give the best balance of reliability and price for his setup.
Combine Sensors For Reliable Presence
- Use multiple sensors and logic per room to infer presence instead of a single motion sensor.
- Combine motion, bed sensors and door/window sensors to avoid false offs while lying in bed or showering.