Brilliant Setup for a Client with Late-Stage MS 🙌

Brilliant Setup for a Client with Late-Stage MS 🙌

I’ve been working with a client who has late-stage multiple sclerosis and no use of their hands. Communicating through tablets and phones has been a real challenge—but today I wanted to share a powerful solution that’s now helping him live independently.

The issue? Both his iPhone and iPad were activating at once when he used voice commands. That caused chaos—both devices would try to respond at the same time.

Here’s how we solved it:

🔹 We configured the iPhone to respond to “Hey Siri” and the iPad to respond to “Siri” only.

🔹 The iPhone screen turns off after 60 seconds, the iPad after 2 minutes. That delay means we can “time” which device he talks to.

🔹 Once the phone screen goes off, Voice Access stops responding on that device, but the iPad stays active—so he can read books, flip pages, and use menus by voice.

🔹 When he wants to make a call or send a message, he says “Hey Siri” to wake the iPhone, and it’s ready to go with Voice Access enabled.

🔹 We’ve separated phone calls and messages to appear only on the phone—not the iPad—to reduce confusion.

We’ve also connected:

✅ Voice-controlled lights

✅ Infrared blaster for heaters & fans

✅ Smart TV controls

✅ Fully hands-free reading & communication

It might sound complex, but for someone with zero hand movement, this setup is pure freedom.

If you're working with someone in a similar situation and want help setting up these tools, reach out—I'm happy to support. These aren’t just clever configurations—they're life-changing.

#NDIS #MultipleSclerosis #AssistiveTechnology #VoiceControl #LivingIndependently #SmartHome #SupportWorkerTools #ICTSupport