Where Can I Donate a Mobility Scooter Near Me? (Best Places)

Where can I donate a mobility scooter near me? I asked myself this question because I upgraded to a robust electric wheelchair.

I teamed up with a close friend who also uses a scooter, and we set out to find out where we could donate our old mobility aid. So if you are asking yourself the same question, read on.

Key Takeaways

• You can donate old mobility aids to help others.
• Places to donate mobility scooters include senior centers, charitable, veterans, and community organizations.
• You can earn a tax write-off after a mobility scooter donation.

Where To Donate a Mobility Scooter?

There are various places near you where you can donate your mobility scooter. According to the CDC, 61 million Americans live with disabilities, and 13% have walking difficulties. (1)

Some people in this 13% need medical equipment but cannot afford the resources. So, a wheelchair donation may be what the person needs to get a break in life and enjoy independence.

Check out this YouTube video highlighting the benefits of mobility aids for people with disabilities.

Here are some places you can make a mobility scooter donation.

1. Charitable Organizations

Various nonprofit organizations exist to help individuals with disabilities live better lives. But they rely on donations from well-wishers and local governments to run their functions.

Most charity organizations have a wider reach to reach more disadvantaged people. Examples of fantastic organizations include the American Red Cross and the Wheelchair Foundation.

2. Senior Centers

These nonprofit organizations usually attend to the needs of senior citizens. Fortunately, most towns have such centers, but these institutions rely on funding and donations.

So most senior centers lack enough resources to invest in quality motorized wheelchairs for the aged. But you can change an aged person’s lifestyle by donating mobility equipment. (2)

3. Veteran Organizations

Most active-duty military personnel return to their everyday lives with disabilities. According to a survey, over 250,000 military veterans use mobility devices. (3)

These formal organizations help these disabled veterans overcome these difficult times.

These veterans benefit much from these health equipment devices since they may not be eligible for a benefit under the Veterans Affairs Administration. (4)

4. Community Organizations

Most community organizations will have wheelchairs for disabled people to use. These organizations include religious places without the resources to allow accessibility to disabled people.

Community amenities like parks and museums can benefit from such donations. This is because they can rent out the equipment to individuals or offer the chairs to people with disabilities.

So there would be no better way than making your donations of scooters in such public places. They might know of an individual within the community who will enjoy the wheelchair gift.

Why Donate Mobility Scooters?

As mentioned above, millions of people and children with disabilities nationwide exist. While most of these may have the resources to buy assistive devices, others lack the privilege.

You will give such people a chance at life by donating adaptive equipment. There are careers accepting people with disabilities, and mobility scooters for outdoor use could be all they need to find a job.

Also, some homeless veterans depend on well-wishers and charity organizations for basic needs. So what you term as a junk item can be of great help to another.

How To Donate a Mobility Scooter?

Donating your old power chairs is the best approach to help more people achieve freedom. But while most disability organizations accept used mobility devices, others do not.

So it can help to hop on a call with the respective organization to know whether they will accept the mobility scooter donation.

Here are some ways for electric wheelchair disposal.

1. Curbside Pickups

If you want to make wheelchair donations but lack time to do so in person, a curbside pickup is excellent. Most organizations provide hotline numbers you can dial to propose your donation pickup.

Unlike the best portable mobility scooter, most heavy-duty scooters can be challenging to fit in your car. Fortunately, the local chair corps can have the proper transportation for such heavy items.

2. In-person Drop Off

You can also deliver your donation to the organization as a show of goodwill. Note that the IRS grants tax write-offs when you make donations to qualified organizations. (5)

Disclose the wheelchair’s condition beforehand to the institution. This will prevent your donation from getting turned down.

FAQs

Conclusion

The question “where can I donate a mobility scooter near me” usually pops up when looking to clear old medical equipment. By presenting a piece of mobility aid, you can change someone’s life.

You can now make an informed disposal decision and earn a tax write-off.

So, where did you decide to donate your old mobility scooter? Don’t forget to share with us in the comments section!

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disability Impacts All of Us Infographic [Internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html

2. Pardasani M, Goldkind L. Senior Centers and Policy Advocacy: Changing Public Perceptions. Educational Gerontology. 2012;38:375–90.

3. Dicianno BE, Joseph J, Eckstein S, Zigler CK, Quinby E, Schmeler MR, et al. The Voice of the Consumer: A Survey of Veterans and Other Users of Assistive Technology. Military Medicine [Internet]. 2018;183:e518–25. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/183/11-12/e518/4959951

4. Veteran Affairs. Eligibility for VA disability benefits [Internet]. Veterans Affairs. 2020. Available from: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/

5. IRS. Charitable Contributions [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf