Written by Sylvia Longmire, Spin the Globe, March 30, 2020
Okay, admittedly at first glance some of these tools and gadgets you’re about to see may look like torture devices, but I guarantee you, they are not. Over the last several years, I have been losing strength and dexterity in my hands, and standing up to reach something is increasingly difficult. I have accumulated several different tools and gadgets to help me live and travel independently as a wheelchair user (I use/own all of the tools below), and I would like to share these with you in case you could find them useful as well!
(CLICK ON EACH IMAGE FOR MORE DETAILS)
1. The grabber. Okay, I don’t really know if this is the official name of this device, but that’s exactly what it does. It’s a stick or pole about a meter (or yard) long with a squeeze handle at one and and rubber-tipped pincers at the other. You can use these to reach things under furniture, above you, or behind things where you just can’t get into because of your mobility device. When I travel, I use it all the time for things I drop in my hotel room. I wouldn’t recommend using this to grab anything very heavy or breakable.
However, it’s great for things like clothes on hangers, bags or small boxes of food on high shelves, or even small objects that have fallen behind the dresser or under a bed. You can even use it to turn off a light switch or pull the chain on a fan. This is the folding version that I use because it fits easily in a small suitcase or backpack.