Last night Alexa saved my life

Member Carole Brown, 80, shares how IT training during her Blind Veterans UK telephone group paid dividends after an accident at home

Carole Brown is a huge fan of her Amazon Alexa. The former RAF Senior Aircraftwoman, who served in Northern Ireland in air traffic control in the 60s, only recently learnt how to use the virtual assistant technology. Yet it’s already saved her life.

Carole, who lives alone, lost her sight in both eyes in 2019 due to macular degeneration and these days sees the world as a “fuzzy place”. So, she was delighted when in her monthly telephone group she learnt how to use simple voice technology, Alexa, which prompted her to set up her device.

This turned out to be very fortunate as just a few days later disaster struck. Carole explains, “I started running a bath and then went looking for Christmas decorations under my hinged storage bed. While I was reaching under the bed it collapsed on my arm, trapping me.”

In pain and unable to reach her mobile phone, she frantically tried her careline alarm system but couldn’t get a signal. She says, “I was in extreme pain and terrified I’d be stuck there overnight as I didn’t have anyone coming that day.”

Thankfully, Carole remembered her Alexa session and was able to call out to her device and make phone calls for help. She managed to phone her doctor through Alexa who then called the emergency services. Help arrived within the hour.

The paramedics told her that had she been trapped there overnight she would have sustained much greater damage to her arm, and could have lost it altogether.

Carole says, “If it hadn’t been for Alexa I don’t know what I would have done. I would have been there all night with my bathroom flooding.”

Fortunately, Carole made a speedy recovery and was even able to go on a cruise she’d booked a few days later – making sure she swapped out her short sleeve gowns for glamorous long sleeves to hide the bruising.

Suffice to say, she’s no longer allowed to lift her underbed storage, but she’s very keen for all her fellow Members to learn how to use simple technology like Alexa.

She says, “I’m 80, widowed, vision impaired and I live on my own. I’m an independent oldie, if you like. And if I can use technology anyone can do it!”

What is Alexa?

Alexa is a voice-controlled digital assistant that you use through your smart speaker or phone. A product from Amazon, ‘she’ comes with built-in smart speakers like the Amazon Echo Dot.

‘She’ can understand your questions and commands, and respond in a human-like voice when you ask her to do something. For example, you can ask Alexa for the weather report and she’ll read the forecast to you. If you tell her to put on the radio, she’ll play your favourite station.

Truly accessible technology

Alexa is a brilliant tool for people with a vision impairment because it allows you to control your speaker with your voice. There are no buttons or dials to fiddle with and no on-screen controls to navigate.

Using Alexa for help with everyday tasks

You can use Alexa to do everything from playing music to compiling shopping lists to making phone calls. It’s a handy gadget that makes daily tasks a little bit easier, especially if you struggle with sight loss.

Helping vision-impaired people at home

Alexa-enabled devices can be an important part of your rehabilitation. These devices allow you to do things independently that you might otherwise struggle with, like following recipes, getting travel information or catching up on the news.

How do I use Alexa?

To use Alexa, you’ll need an internet-connected smart speaker like an Amazon Echo Dot, or you can use the Alexa app on your smartphone. If you’re using an Amazon smart speaker, Alexa will already be enabled. If you want to use Alexa on your smartphone, you will need to download the Alexa app. 

To activate Alexa, just say her name, then tell her what you want her to do. For example, you might say, “Alexa, what’s the weather forecast for today?” or “Alexa, add milk to my shopping list” or “Alexa, set timer for five minutes”.

How do I set up my account? 

While Alexa is largely a voice-activated product, you will still need to use your phone screen or the screen on your smart speaker to do things like:

• registering your account
• inputting some details such as telephone numbers and your location to get personalised news and travel information
• downloading the features (known as ‘skills’) you might want to use

What are Alexa skills?

Alexa’s features are known as ‘skills’. Skills are like apps, similar to the ones you download on your smartphone. Alexa has a range of skills instantly available when you set up your device which allow you to do things like: 

• find out the time and date
• access your digital calendar
• get the latest news and weather
• set timers and alarms

Adding new skills

You can add thousands of skills to Alexa. To find more skills, just say, “Alexa, what skills do you have?”. You can also search for more specific skills. Try saying, “Alexa, what trivia games can I play?”.

Most skills are free, but for some you have to pay a fee or a monthly subscription. Alexa will tell you if there is a cost associated with a skill, and you will need to register a debit or credit card on your Amazon account if you want to pay for it.  

You can find the full range of available skills on Amazon’s website by visiting amazon.com/alexa-skills

Find out more about Alexa by visiting our sight loss resources on digital technology at blindveterans.org.uk/sight-loss-resources or call MeSH on 01273 391 447.