Used wheelchairs, walkers, and hospital beds are genuinely needed, but they are harder to donate than clothing or books. Most national thrift chains will not take them, and the organizations that do are usually local. The good news is that almost every state has a medical equipment reuse program, and several charities specialize in getting this gear to people who cannot afford it. Here is where to look and what each place accepts.
Every U.S. state runs at least one federally funded Assistive Technology program, and most operate a device reuse or loan service that refurbishes donated equipment and gets it back into the community. These are the most reliable destinations for wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, and similar gear. Search for your state name plus "assistive technology reuse" or "durable medical equipment reuse," or use the Pass It On Center national directory of reuse programs.
Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC), based in Tucker, Georgia, accepts gently used or new medical equipment, with drop-off locations and pickup for larger quantities. Other groups such as Accessibility Medical Equipment refurbish power wheelchairs, scooters, hospital beds, and CPAP machines and arrange pickup. These charities clean, repair, and redistribute equipment at little or no cost to people who need it.
Your Area Agency on Aging, local Council on Aging, or senior center often keeps a loan closet of walkers, wheelchairs, commodes, shower benches, and canes for older adults. Call your nearest senior center and ask whether they accept equipment donations. To find the right office, call the federal Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or use eldercare.acl.gov.
Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity ReStores vary widely on medical equipment. Some locations accept canes, walkers, and manual wheelchairs in good condition; many will not take electric beds, lifts, or anything they consider a liability. Always call the specific location before loading up, because policy changes by store and by state.
Many condition-focused nonprofits run loan closets. Local chapters of the ALS Association, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, muscular dystrophy groups, and independent living centers frequently lend wheelchairs, walkers, and lifts to people they serve, and they accept donated equipment to restock. If your equipment suits a particular condition, a specialized group is often the fastest match.
If you are a clinic, hospital, or provider with larger volumes, medical surplus recovery organizations such as MedShare and similar groups collect usable supplies and equipment and ship them to under-resourced clinics in the U.S. and abroad. These are geared to bulk and institutional donations rather than a single household item.
Last updated June 2026. Errors: [email protected]
Clothing and household goods are easy to resell, so thrift stores take them by the truckload. Medical equipment is different. It carries liability concerns, hygiene requirements, recall risk, and storage challenges, and it usually needs inspection or refurbishing before it can be handed to someone new. That is why the best destinations are specialized reuse programs and loan closets rather than general donation bins. These organizations have the staff and standards to clean, test, and match equipment safely.
Reuse programs consistently report the highest demand for a handful of items:
If you have any of these in working order, they will almost certainly find a home.
To save a wasted trip, know the common no-go list: recalled equipment, anything broken or with a bent or cracked frame, soiled or stained items, used mattresses on hospital beds (many programs swap these), opened or used consumables, and used CPAP masks and tubing for hygiene reasons. Some programs cannot take older electric beds that no longer meet safety standards. When in doubt, send a photo and ask before you deliver.
Three starting points cover most of the country. The Pass It On Center maintains a national directory of durable medical equipment reuse programs. Every state has an Assistive Technology Act program that either reuses equipment or can point you to a partner that does. And the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) connects you to your Area Agency on Aging, which usually knows the local loan closets. A quick call to any of these will tell you the nearest drop-off.
If your equipment is current and in good shape, donating it to a reuse program puts it to immediate use and may give you a deduction. High-value power chairs and scooters can also be sold, though refurbishing charities will get them to someone in need faster. Equipment that is broken or recalled should be recycled, not donated. Ask your local solid-waste or recycling program how to handle metal frames and battery-powered units responsibly.