Do you have difficulty retrieving tiny items off the floor such as your pills, band-aids, contact lens, hearing aid battery, coins, etc., and your standard Reacher is not cut out for the job? If so, the Critter Catcher just might do the trick! This clever device, created to catch and dispose of the occasional arachnid and like creatures, has long stiff bristles that are perfect for picking up tiny items. The handle has the grip and release mechanism of a standard Reacher and comes in 15″ and 26″ lengths.
Assistive Technology (AT) includes not only devices that are designed to be AT, but also off-the-shelf equipment that is made for standard commercial use as long as it is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. The use of the Critter Catcher as an AT device is a great example of using a cheap off-the-shelf product to do a very functional and needed task for people with disabilities. However, if you still need a Critter Catcher to dispose of bugs, I just might buy two!
A big shout out to the Virginia Assistive Technology Act Program for this great idea! If you would like to see this device demonstrated in one of our Centers, please contact us at 1-800-895-4728 or info@ndassistive.org.