Enabling Inclusive and Accessible Living Through the Internet of Mirrors (IoM)

While Internet of Things (IoT) technologies continue to transform healthcare and assisted living through smart, connected systems, individuals with disabilities often face significant barriers in accessing and benefiting from these advances. Current IoT-enabled healthcare solutions struggle with fragmentation, limited accessibility, and insufficient user-centric design, creating substantial obstacles for the 1.3 billion people worldwide living with disabilities. This article introduces the Internet-of-Mirrors (IoM) framework as a unified platform for enabling inclusive living and healthcare through interconnected smart mirrors with enhanced sensing and communication capabilities. We present the framework’s core architectural components and demonstrate how its user-centric design principles inherently support accessibility needs through adaptive interfaces and personalised assistance. Through four demonstratory use cases - enhanced daily living support, accessible health monitoring, social inclusion and rehabilitation support - we illustrate the IoM’s potential for enabling independent living and improved healthcare access. We outline critical implementation considerations focusing on participatory design and robust validation processes, providing a practical roadmap for deployment. Finally, we discuss future directions for advancing the IoM framework toward creating truly inclusive smart living environments that seamlessly integrate accessibility features while maintaining user dignity and privacy. This work contributes to the broader vision of smart cities by demonstrating how interconnected, adaptive technologies can enhance quality of life and enable greater independence for users of diverse and varied accessibility needs.