Amazon and The Chicago Lighthouse are collaborating to equip homes for clients of the nonprofit with smart home devices, aiming to make The Foglia Residences more accessible. This initiative was announced in a news release dated October 31.
"Smart home devices are a game-changer for people with disabilities, particularly for those who are blind or visually impaired," said Janet Szlyk, Ph.D., President and CEO of The Chicago Lighthouse. She expressed expectations that these devices will empower clients by assisting them in various tasks such as answering the door, turning on lights, making shopping lists, and performing other activities that promote confidence and independent living. "We are truly grateful to Amazon for their generosity and commitment to helping people with disabilities," Szlyk added.
According to the news release, the first tenants of the 76-unit affordable housing development, The Foglia Residences, will be offered Amazon Smart Plugs, Blink doorbells, and Echo Show smart displays. Clients of The Lighthouse who have vision impairments will also have access to these devices through the Lighthouse’s Tools for Living Store. These clients will collaborate with Amazon to provide feedback aimed at improving device accessibility.
"We are excited to partner with The Chicago Lighthouse," said Karla Torres, Head of Devices & Services Community Engagement at Amazon. Torres highlighted that The Chicago Lighthouse is a champion of accessibility dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for community members who are blind or visually impaired. "We look forward to working alongside The Chicago Lighthouse team and learning how accessibility features in Blink and Alexa-enabled Echo devices can help enhance the safety, independence, and well-being of their members," she said.
Amazon operates under four guiding principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. It strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Among its innovations are customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime services, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Kindle products, Career Choice program initiatives like Fire tablets and Fire TV products as well as Alexa-enabled devices such as Amazon Echo.