Smart Home Technology Offers Disabled Veterans Greater Independence in Their Homes

Disabled U.S. Air Force combat controller gains life-changing level of freedom

Jack Fanning is a disabled U.S. Air Force combat controller. (Photo: Business Wire)

PROVO, Utah--()--Despite efforts to be as active and independent as possible, disabled veterans are often limited in their own homes. Routine tasks can become difficult, such as answering the door when someone rings the doorbell or adjusting the thermostat.

In the U.S., four million veterans have disabilities as a result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Smart home technology can make it easier for disabled veterans to secure and control their homes.

Vivint Smart Home customer Jack Fanning joined the United States Air Force in 1997, and served six tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, before joining one of the most elite units in the military as an Air Force special operations combat controller. During a parachuting exercise, he sustained a spinal cord injury due to an equipment malfunction. Paralyzed from the neck down, Fanning is now a C4 incomplete quadriplegic.

With limited mobility, Fanning became totally reliant on his caregivers to manage how he functioned in his own home, which he had to leave unlocked at all times so caregivers could come and go as needed. No longer able to control his internal temperature, Fanning was often too cold or too hot, but couldn’t easily adjust the thermostat.

Fanning now uses the Vivint Smart Home app to lock his front door and adjust the thermostat with a simple tap of his special stylus, or he just uses voice commands to his Amazon Echo. He has created door codes for each of his caregivers, so he doesn’t have to leave his home unsecured, giving him greater peace of mind. For Fanning, Vivint’s smart home technology has brought a life-changing level of freedom, control and independence, not only within his own home, but also anywhere he takes his Apple iPad.

“Vivint has really changed my life and improved my way of living,” Fanning said. “My chair is tricked out with all these things I can do, and now I have a smart home to go along with that.”

Watch a video of Fanning’s experience with smart home technology at youtu.be/eCGsYJv2xrQ.

Fanning is a cofounder of Brothers Keepers, a non-profit organization focused on providing healing and fellowship for wounded veterans, first responders and their families.

About Vivint Smart Home

Vivint Smart Home is the leading provider of smart home services in North America. Vivint delivers an integrated smart home system with in-home consultation, professional installation and support delivered by its Smart Home Pros, as well as 24-7 customer care and monitoring. Dedicated to redefining the home experience with intelligent products and services, Vivint serves more than one million customers. J.D. Power ranked Vivint Smart Home “Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Home Security Systems.” For more information, visit www.vivint.com.

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Contacts

Vivint Smart Home
Aaron Searle, 801-229-6955
pr@vivint.com

Contacts

Vivint Smart Home
Aaron Searle, 801-229-6955
pr@vivint.com