When Big Brother is a force for good

Surely even George Orwell couldn’t have imagined how true his dystopian novel, 1984, would become.

While we really do live in a world where Big Brother is watching us, tracking our movements covertly and overtly, not all technology is sinister.

The digital revolution has changed the world in many very good ways.

One such advancement was outlined yesterday, a fitting example of technology and physical design working together to create a better world.

While it sounds like science fiction, it’s very real. There really is a washing machine that can clean and iron clothes, kitchen units that can lower on demand, and blinds that can anticipate our needs for light.

All this and more adds up to independence and a good quality of life for people with disabilities, mobility issues, or elderly people wanting to enjoy a self-sufficient life in their own homes.

The six homes unveiled yesterday really are a blueprint for an accessible future, and they are adapatable too, able to incorporate specific and changing needs.

They are also affordable, putting them in reach of the people who really need them.

Perhaps even Dr Margaret Blackwood herself could not have imagined these homes, but the tireless campaigner for the rights of the disabled to independent living would most certainly approve.