Accessibility gaps in smart home tech are leaving blind users struggling

A Misryoum report highlights how “easy” smart appliances can become hard for blind and low-vision people—forcing workarounds, reliance on others, and raising safety concerns.

Technology should make life easier — but that’s not always the case, especially inside people’s own kitchens and living rooms. For blind and low-vision Australians, the latest smart features can turn everyday tasks into avoidable obstacles.

The frustration is immediate and practical.. A TV remote with hard-to-feel buttons, no sound feedback when it powers on, and channel or streaming navigation that depends on visual cues can make “smart” media feel anything but effortless.. In one home, a microwave was effectively narrowed down by the presence of raised buttons instead of touch screens; when the chosen model still didn’t feel reliable, sticky tape was used so a key control could be found by touch.. The pattern is familiar: when systems aren’t designed for non-visual use, people end up building their own workarounds just to keep daily routines moving.

For Phoebe Jane, whose central vision is gradually failing, the barrier is also about control.. Her coffee machine has only one raised button, and her family has taught her how to make a specific type of coffee.. If the settings are altered and not switched back, she can become stuck—unable to feel or see the display that would normally guide her.. “It’s so frustrating.. It makes me feel less independent and you lose your confidence,” she said, describing how small breakdowns in usability can chip away at the sense that home life is fully hers.

Misryoum spoke to the realities behind those experiences: technology that looks sleek often sacrifices the kind of tactile, audio, or consistent feedback that helps someone confirm what the appliance is doing.. The result can be more than inconvenience.. Phoebe Jane also pointed to safety risk, describing how an older electric stove once made her accidentally turn it on, leaving her scared because she did not know how to shut it off.. For people who cannot reliably see what’s happening, “smart” design that hides the controls can become a threat rather than a convenience.

The issue is not isolated.. A Vision Australia survey of 700 blind or low-vision people found that 56 per cent said advances in home appliance technology had made their lives more difficult.. More than 60 per cent reported needing to modify appliances, avoiding certain products, or relying on family or carers to use them.. Among people with no vision at all, four in five said they avoided using appliances altogether.. These figures point to a wider mismatch between what manufacturers market as accessibility and what users actually experience in the real world.

Why accessibility keeps being treated like an optional add-on

Misryoum’s editorial takeaway from these findings is simple: when accessibility is added late—or not at all—users end up carrying the cost in time, effort, and independence.. Appliances already have to meet safety standards, as Chris Edwards from Vision Australia—who is also blind—argues.. Yet he says advocates in 2026 should not still be pushing for basic usability features that allow people to complete everyday functions at home.

Edwards also raised two practical barriers.. First, accessible options often come with higher prices.. Second, the features on those products may still be limited to only the most basic tasks.. The gap isn’t just about whether a control exists; it’s about whether the appliance offers consistent choice and feedback.. The dream is not a compromise that works for one scenario.. Instead, it’s a system where someone can choose wash settings on demand—every time—without needing another person present.

The app-and-voice workaround isn’t a full solution

Some appliances increasingly sync to mobile apps, and voice technology can sometimes help.. If a person uses voice commands on a phone that reads out instructions, that can provide a route to control.. It works for some people—and in one household, it’s used to run a washing machine.. But the workaround comes with its own conditions: a stable internet connection, the skills to operate the system, and faith that the technology will respond when it matters most.

Misryoum sees the deeper point here: a pathway that relies on multiple layers—phone, apps, internet, and device compatibility—can still exclude people when any component fails or when accessibility hasn’t been built into the appliance itself.. Voice control can help, but it should not be the only method available.

There is also a broader timing argument.. Australia’s aging population means the market for accessible home technology is likely to grow, whether through increased disability prevalence or more widespread functional limitations.. Edwards suggested that better accessibility could ease pressure on the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which is projected to cost more than $52 billion this financial year.. While he framed it as a cost and support issue, the lived impact is more immediate: fewer modifications, fewer avoided purchases, and less reliance on carers for basic tasks.

What better design could look like

Phoebe Jane’s view brings the conversation back to human scale.. She wants people with disability to be involved in product design—because vision loss differs from person to person.. One-size-fits-all approaches don’t work when “access” depends on tactile layout, audio feedback, and the ability to confirm settings without sight.

And still, she is clear that solutions should be possible.. “But I think there has to be solutions, some very simple things to be put in place that would help everybody,” she said.. In Misryoum’s reading, that could mean raised controls where touch is unreliable, sound cues or haptic feedback to confirm actions, and screens that can be understood without demanding perfect vision.

Until then, the practical reality is that many people will keep borrowing support from the people around them.. Misryoum listeners and readers will recognize the familiar workaround: a neighbor on speed dial, a family member who knows the cycles, or sticky tape placed carefully over a button so a routine can continue.. Technology may promise ease, but for blind and low-vision users, the next leap forward has to be measured in independence—not just in features on a showroom shelf.