Adjustable Reinforced HairBrush
Purpose
FOP Community Member Manuel and his dad adapted this bath brush into a hairbrush so that it was comfortable for him to use by himself. He cannot reach his hair so he needed an extension to wash it. He says, ” It allows me to wash my hair on my own, which gives me independence and not need someone to help me bathe.”
There have been multiple versions and modifications made to Manuel’s hairbrush. Manuel says, ” Originally this was the “Lula articulated brush”( an adjustable bath brush purchased from a store) that I used to wash my hair for many years. Eventually, something broke, and my dad fixed it somehow. With time, different things broke and so we applied different modifications to keep it functional. Each repair was successful on its own, so while it had different versions each was fully capable of function. The only exception was when the hairbrush part snapped and we solved it by screwing an external hairbrush. The problem there was that this external brush snapped after some months, and the iteration that solved this was the reinforcement of the top aluminium bar.
How to make
Items Needed: Extended bath brush such as the Lula Folding Bath Sponge or other versions you can find in stores like this one, Plastic hairbrush, Aluminium Bars, Bronze Screws, Nuts
- As of the last version, where only the first half of the original brush remains. This stick is comfortable to hold, light, and sturdy, but it could be replaced with anything of the appropriate length. A short aluminium bar is set in place, and held with a bronze butterfly screw, with a nut on the other end. This element allows it to change angles. Bend slightly the other, longer aluminium bar. Make three holes in both bars, and make three holes in the external brush, aligning all of them carefully. Screw all three elements with the three bronze screws and top them with nuts. The exact length measures should be set according to the person’s movement range.
This tool was created as part of the 2025 Ability Toolbox Homemade Tools Contest. More information about the contest can be found on the IFOPA Webpage. The IFOPA would like to thank The Radiant Hope Foundation for their generous financial support of this program.