Lighting and Blinds | Supporting Occupatio

Blinds and Curtains

Automated blinds and curtains are adjustable window coverings made of different materials to control light and privacy. They can be open and closed electronically without manual effort.

A motorised component attached to the blind and curtains to automatically controlled based on different inputs such as:

Voice command: The system may be integrated with a hub (I.e. Siri, Google, Alexa)
Remote controlled via interface,
Wall-mounted switch,
Programable via time setting on command (semi-autonomous),
Sensor-based sunlight/temperature (autonomous),
a part of a larger system command word i.e. “Goodnight”.
- Systems may be linked with existing assistive technology such as eye gaze, joystick control and/or sip and puff depending on the users’ needs (check with an integrator about the viability if this is appropriate for the service user.

Independence: Automated blinds support independence for users (Cleland et al., 2024; Ding et al., 2025).

Sleep: Helps establish consistent sleep-wake cycles and sleep regulation by ensuring blinds are closed at night and open in the morning (Cleland et al., 2024).

Safety and Privacy: Increases privacy and eliminates the safety risk of tangled cords, which can be a hazard for children and people with certain disabilities (Mun & Kim, 2024).

Fatigue management: Automated blinds can support energy conservation due to minimising physical exertion and increase fatigue management (Moroz et al., 2017).

Energy efficiency and cost effective: Energy efficient by assisting with room temperature regulation reducing energy outputs. The cost savings from interior automated shading system are substantially better than manual blinds (Meerback et al., 2014; Nezamdoost et al., 2018).

Fatigue management: Energy conservation for user as automated blinds reduce the need for manual interactions (Cleland et al., 2024; Moroz et al., 2017; Nezamdoost et al., 2018).

Cleland, J., Hutchinson, C., Williams, P. A. H., Manuel, K., & Laver, K. (2023). A scoping review to explore the health, social and economic outcomes of home automation for people with disability. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 19(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2023.2196308
Ding, D., Morris, L., Messina, K., & Fairman, A. (2021). Providing mainstream smart home technology as assistive technology for persons with disabilities: A qualitative study with professionals. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 18(7), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2021.1998673
Ding, D., Morris, L., Novario, G., Fairman, A., Roehrich, K., Foschi Walko, P., & Boateng, J. (2025). Mainstream smart home technology–based intervention to enhance functional independence in individuals with complex physical disabilities: Single-Group pre-post feasibility study. JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, 12, e70855. https://doi.org/10.2196/70855
Meerbeek, B., van Druenen, T., Aarts, M., van Loenen, E., & Aarts, E. (2014). Impact of blinds usage on energy consumption: Automatic versus manual control. In E. Aarts et al. (Eds.), Ambient intelligence: AmI 2014. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14112-1_14
Moroz, A., Flanagan, S. R., & Zaretsky, H. H. (Eds.). (2017). Medical aspects of disability for the rehabilitation professional (5th ed.). Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
Mun, K., & Kim, J. (2024). Development of a smart home modification program: A delphi survey of multidisciplinary health care experts. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(5). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050651
Nezamdoost, A., Van Den Wymelenberg, K., & Mahic, A. (2018). Assessing the energy and daylighting impacts of human behavior with window shades, a life-cycle comparison of manual and automated blinds. Automation in Construction, 92, 133–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.03.033

Lighting

Any source that provides illumination in a room. Lighting can include ambient, task, and accent lighting. Smart lighting can consist of bulbs, switches and fixtures that can be controlled remotely.

Smart lights can be turned on or off, dimmed, or have their colour changed by:

Voice command: The system may be integrated with a hub (I.e. Siri, Google, Alexa)
Remote controlled via interface,
Wall-mounted switch,
Programable via time setting on command (semi-autonomous),
Sensor-based sunlight/temperature/motion (autonomous),
a part of a larger system command word i.e. “Goodnight”.
- Systems may be linked with existing assistive technology such as eye gaze, joystick control and/or sip and puff depending on the users’ needs (check with an integrator about the viability if this is appropriate for the service user.

Sleep: Dynamic lighting can help improve sleep cycles and mood by balancing the body's natural circadian rhythm (Böhmer et al., 2022; Cain et al., 2020).

Independence: Reduces needing to use physical switches which can be challenging for people with limited mobility and having to ask others for help (Hooper et al., 2018).
- Provides autonomy and independence

Safety: Motion-sensor lighting can increase safety by illuminating a room before entry to prevent injury (Cahill et al., 2019).

Leisure: Automated lighting can help increase engagement in meaningful occupations for the service user (Rasouli Kahaki et al., 2022).

Cognitive support: For individuals with memory or cognitive impairments, smart lighting can be set to a schedule to remind them to wake up or go to bed. Lights can also flash or change colour to serve as a visual alert for doorbells, alarms, or incoming calls for those who are hard of hearing. Additionally, turning lighting off at night limiting exposure to bright lights can improve cognitive functioning (Fani & Sharp, 2024).

Household energy efficiency: Through smart scheduling, occupancy detection, and real-time energy management automated lighting can improve household energy efficiency (Fakhar et al., 2022).

Böhmer, M. N., Oppewal, A., Valstar, M. J., Bindels, P. J. E., van Someren, E. J. W., & Maes‐Festen, D. A. M. (2022). Light up: An intervention study of the effect of environmental dynamic lighting on sleep–wake rhythm, mood and behaviour in older adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 66(10), 756–781. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12969
Cahill, J., Portales, R., McLoughin, S., Nagan, N., Henrichs, B., & Wetherall, S. (2019). IoT/Sensor-Based infrastructures promoting a sense of home, independent living, comfort and wellness. Sensors, 19(3), 485. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19030485
Cain, S. W., McGlashan, E. M., Vidafar, P., Mustafovska, J., Curran, S. P. N., Wang, X., Mohamed, A., Kalavally, V., & Phillips, A. J. K. (2020). Evening home lighting adversely impacts the circadian system and sleep. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75622-4
Fakhar, M. Z., Yalcin, E., & Bilge, A. (2022). A survey of smart home energy conservation techniques. Expert Systems with Applications, 213, 118–974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.118974
Fani, M., & Sharp, N. (2024). Exploring methodological considerations: A literature review on how lighting affects the sleep and cognition in healthy older adults. Journal of Daylighting, 11(1), 97–118. https://doi.org/10.15627/jd.2024.6
Hooper, B., Verdonck, M., Amsters, D., Myburg, M., & Allan, E. (2017). Smart-device environmental control systems: Experiences of people with cervical spinal cord injuries. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 13(8), 724–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2017.1369591