Living with limited mobility or visual impairments often means facing practical challenges when navigating a home. Low light conditions can make these challenges all the more difficult.
Motion-sensor lighting in accessible homes is an effective and affordable solution for making life easier and more comfortable in your house. Lighting that is activated when movement is detected can help to improve visibility without sacrificing convenience or safety.
If your home could benefit from motion-activated lighting to make your space more accessible, here are the details you should know.
How Motion Lights Can Help
Improved Visibility
If someone in your home lives with visual impairment or limited mobility, navigating your house in low lighting can be unpleasant and dangerous.
Adding home adaptations like motion sensor lighting in accessible homes means you can automatically illuminate darker areas of your home. Having proper lighting exactly when needed can improve visibility drastically, reducing the chance of falls, accidents and inconvenience.
Simple, Hands-Free Operation
Motion-sensor lights mean no need to fumble for switches, making them ideal for people with limited dexterity or those using mobility aids. This can be especially useful when moving from room to room and are unable to activate light switches by hand.
Lights can illuminate a clear path, making hands-free lighting an essential way of navigating your home more freely.
They Make A Home Safer
Motion-sensor lighting can deter intruders and provide a sense of security, particularly for those living alone. Outdoor lighting can be set up to activate when someone approaches your home, making it clear that a property is occupied and monitored.
This added layer of security can be installed in strategic points to ensure anyone coming close to the house is visible. This can be of great comfort to anyone with limited vision who needs brighter lighting to see people approaching the front door, for example.
Easy Night Time Navigation
Moving around a house at night can be especially difficult for people with limited mobility or impaired vision. Motion sensor lighting in accessible homes makes it safe to move around even when it’s dark. This is especially important in the winter months when it gets dark from 4 pm until 8 am, making it just as challenging to navigate late afternoons and mornings.
Lighting is easier to achieve without the need to reach and activate light switches, as your motion sensor lights will simply turn themselves on when movement is detected.
The Benefits Of Installing Motion Lights
Effortless Lighting Control
Motion-sensor lighting means effortless control of your home’s lighting. Nothing is easier than motion lights, as no switches or buttons can be pressed. Simply go about your tasks, and the lighting will activate automatically. It will also deactivate, turning off the lights after a set period of time has passed, during which no movement has been detected.
Because of their ease of use, motion-sensor lighting in accessible homes is ideal for everyone. But it’s especially useful for individuals with limited reach or mobility. Automatic lighting means reduced reliance on others for help, leading to improved independence and safety.
Personalised Lighting
Motion lights can be adjusted to suit your individual needs and preferences, making your home all the more comfortable. The following can easily be adjusted:
- The sensitivity setting allows you to adjust the level of motion required to turn on the lights. For example, you wouldn’t want the lights to turn on for small movements like a passing fly.
- Choose how long they stay on, as you don’t want them to leave you stranded in the dark. But you also don’t want a quick trip to your adapted bathroom to result in a glare left on for hours after you’ve left the room.
- You can adjust the light to suit the ambient light of the space in which it’s fitted. Lux values indicate the current light level in the environment that the sensor measures, so you’re not met with a sudden blinding light or too-dim illumination.
- Motion lights can be integrated with other smart home devices for enhanced control and automation, making everyday tasks faster and more manageable.
The Bonus Benefit: Energy Efficiency
This may not be the first reason many choose to install motion-activated lighting, but it can help reduce your energy bill. Motion-sensor lights only turn on when needed, which means you can benefit from significant energy savings compared to traditional lighting.
In addition, reduced on/off cycles can extend the lifespan of light bulbs, reducing replacement costs and making lighting maintenance much easier.
Motion sensor lights are good for both your home’s accessibility and the environment. Improved ease of use and decreased energy consumption mean you can light your home effectively and reduce your energy usage efficiently.
Where To Put Motion-Sensor Lighting in Accessible Homes
- Doors – Position outdoor motion lights for entering and exiting a home and illuminating visitors.
- Entryways and Hallways – well-lit entrances and hallways make for safer navigation once inside.
- Bathrooms/toilets – Help to prevent accidents and provide a hands-free lighting solution in a potentially hazardous environment.
- Bedrooms – They aid in nighttime movement without disturbing sleep. Adjusted sensitivity means you only activate your lights when needed, not every time you turn over in bed.
- Kitchens – Motion lights can make task lighting easier, as they can be installed under cabinets to light up your worktop space as you need it.
- Outdoor Spaces—Motion lights are often used to improve security and safety on driveways, in gardens, and in other outdoor areas.
Looking For Motion-Sensor Lighting In Accessible Homes?
Motion-sensor lighting in accessible homes helps to improve home security, reduce the risk of falls and make life easier overall without the need to operate light switches. This practical and low-maintenance solution is ideal for all homes but is especially beneficial for accessible homes.
Want to find out how we ensure your home adaptations are made to fit your needs? Download our brochure here for full information.