Environmental Controls
Environmental Control Units (ECU) and Electronic Aids to Daily Living (EADL) offer an alternate means to control appliances or tools in the environment. Since the dawn of mobile technologies, there are more options for people to control a variety of things at home or in other environments. Some products can be used “off the shelf” and others may require specialized equipment for control.
Some examples of ECU or EADLs are:
- Apps to control your thermostat, lights, TV, etc.
- Switches to control plug-in appliances
- Using a Speech Generating Device (SGD) to control items
- Bluetooth technology to operate items out of reach
- Amazon Echo/Alexa or Google Home for hands-free access to music, news, weather, etc.
In the AT Lab
We have an ‘Interactive Smart Home’ set-up at the AT Lab where you may explore some basic environmental controls during a Consultation or Open Lab Hours.
Some Portland area resources for more support or information on Environmental Controls: