What if blueprints for state-of-the-art facilities lacked plans for elevators, wheelchair-friendly restrooms and handicapped parking? Getting in and around the building would be a nightmare for people with mobility issues, the elderly and young families. Not to mention it would be illegal.  

As ridiculous as it seems to discount accessibility features for modern homes and buildings, the reality is that many people in today’s digitally connected society find themselves in a similar situation when it comes to leveraging modern technology.

Consider for a moment how someone with limited sight might use a modern smartphone without raised buttons on the screen to guide them. Or how difficult it may be for that same person to navigate a television screen without a feature that describes what is currently selected. Using technology that lacks adaptations for their needs would be incredibly frustrating, especially considering many interactions for work, school and recreation are conducted using a screen.

These realizations are even more startling when one considers the amount of people who need special accommodations. More than 18 percent of people in the United States have a disability, and this community represents more than US$200 billion in discretionary spending, according to the United States Census. Ensuring that technology solutions – and the network they operate on – meet the needs of these customers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s smart business. But how to achieve accessibility?

Innovations like smart technology, including context-aware electronic devices that monitor and analyze their surroundings to perform autonomic actions by connecting to other devices, and Internet of Things (IoT) technology (the connected network that allows for these autonomous actions) provide greater ease of use for visitors requiring special accommodations. By investing in smart technologies and IoT networks, facility managers can dramatically ease the lives of their guests by making their buildings and the technology in them more accessible. Additionally, partnerships with providers who understand accessibility will greatly assist property managers and owners in meeting the needs of all visitors and their families.

Invest in ‘Smart’

Because of smart technology’s ability to sense, monitor and adapt to the surrounding environment, it offers unparalleled ease of use to both building owners and guests to efficiently manage lighting, thermostats and entertainment devices. According to analysts, smart technology’s popularity is only expected to increase. In fact, Zion Market Research predicts that smart technology devices will reach a global market of US$53.45 billion by 2020, which is a compound annual growth rate of more than 14.5 percent between 2017 and 2022. The researchers cite government initiatives, an aging population and a growing awareness about energy consumption as reasons for the uptick.

Armed with this knowledge, facility managers must anticipate visitor expectations to have these options in their work spaces and to integrate popular smart amenities such as remote-controlled locks, voice-activated lights and connected appliances. Such innovations will not only help those in need use the building more independently, but they will also simplify overall operations.

For example, voice- or motion-activated light switches, will enable visitors to easily turn on and off the lights without needing to look or reach for switches. Remote-controlled locks and thermostats also provide ease of use so that property managers no longer have to patrol each floor physically to ensure lights are off. Not only will guests enjoy the added convenience of having smoother and more streamlined building operations, but electricity savings will be greater, too.

The key to making smart technologies successful lies in the network that supports them. Multifamily properties need a high-performance network to handle all the advanced traffic streaming across its network. Smart technologies function on the basis that they’re connected to an IoT network and high-performance internet, so guests may remotely monitor and control their environment.

The downside is as the number of devices are deployed, the network may slow or experience reduced performance. So, while it is critical that facility managers and building owners implement smart technologies into their buildings, they must also ensure the network on which it all operates can handle these changes. By working closely with providers to upgrade wiring and install new technologies, such as DOCSIS 3.1 for gigabit speeds, facility managers are assured their properties are ready for the smart technology revolution.

Accessibility services

Partnering with providers who understand and offer accessibility services is one of the easiest and most impactful ways that property managers can ensure they’re up-to-date and offer the best in accessibility. Good providers will stay on top of accessibility trends, offer specialized customer support tailored for the facility’s specific needs, and they’ll provide guidance on which services and products will fit the facility’s guests best.

To be sure the right provider is selected, do some research about the company. Closely examine their track record to see if they collaborate with advocacy organizations, community leaders, stakeholders from government agencies or tech entrepreneurs leading the accessibility space. Also look for providers who have staff specially trained on and dedicated to accessibility features and general support issues, so they have the necessary knowledge and experience to meet the facility’s needs.

The right providers also offer advanced technology such as voice-controlled remotes that empower users to find the content they’re looking for just by asking; program guides that provide audio descriptions of cursor selections to allow those with limited vision to interact with technology; and eye-gaze tracking technologies that enable people to select content using only their pupils.

For example, in the telecommunications space, the leading accessibility providers offer voice-enabled television interfaces that help users navigate the platform. Using voice guidance, an advanced system can read aloud descriptions and selections from a menu so visually impaired guests can interact with digital interfaces.

Commitment to accessibility

Providing accessible products and services is not a “nice-to-have” amenity reserved for a small portion of the population. Accessible products and services benefit all. Someone who is sighted will still benefit from the ease of use that comes from getting exactly what is requested by using a voice-controlled remote. And captions don’t just help those with hearing loss, they provide context to the 85 percent of Facebook users who don’t watch videos with sound, according to Digiday.

In fact, a landmark study by Forrester and Microsoft more than a decade ago revealed that nearly 60 percent of working-age adults in the United States were likely to benefit from accessible technology, even if they don’t necessarily identify as having what’s commonly categorized as a disability.

In the report, Madelyn Bryant McIntire, director of the Accessible Technology Group at Microsoft says, “We knew they could help dispel the traditional idea that people fall into only two categories: those with disabilities and those without. In fact, there are millions of people along the continuum of human ability for whom accessible technology can make a difference.”

People think of accessibility products as targeting a niche demographic, but the reality is accessible design builds better products for everyone. Not only do accessible products provide ease of use and independence to the intended population, but they enhance the user experience for everyone else, too.

Every day, people enter buildings and interact with technology. They flip on lights, surf for something good to watch on TV or craft an email on their computer. The thin wall between the digital and in-person experience is crumbling. Facility managers need to be sure that people requiring special accommodations – whether it’s someone with a disability, an elderly visitor or young parents strolling their baby around – aren’t left out of the experience.

By investing in smart technologies and ensuring the proper network is available to support and operate them, and by partnering with providers who understand accessibility and realize that a building founded on accessibility is better for everyone, property managers can ensure that their doors are open, inclusive and attractive to all.