REquipment DME Reuse Program

REquipment DME Reuse Program REquipment provides free gently used durable medical equipment & assistive technology throughout MA.

REquipment gives gently used durable medical equipment a second life helping someone else in need. A “reuse” program, REquipment helps people obtain gently-used and refurbished durable medical equipment (DME) at no cost thanks to state and private funding. The project is funded by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission with support from the Department of Developmental Services and the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. To donate or receive DME, search our listings of available items at www.dmereuse.org

Now available in the REquipment inventory:doork**b extenders!It's amazing how simple design alterations can make life be...
01/15/2026

Now available in the REquipment inventory:
doork**b extenders!

It's amazing how simple design alterations can make life better.

Door k**b extenders allow a door to turn with firm pressure from the palm of your hand rather than twisting with your wrist and fingers. Great for anyone who'd like to avoid grasping and turning.

These handles are 4 inches long and come with an installation wrench. They are free to pick up in W. Springfield, or may be delivered with a larger item, or shipped for $20 (not advised unless you need several and are bundling).

Browse REquipment's online inventory regularly and find what you need to live more easily.

Visit DMEreuse.org

Smaller AT devices are also appreciated as donations!

UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

01/14/2026

Happy Why REquipment Wednesday

REquipment is prepping for regional "roundtable" meetings with state legislators. Organized by Easterseals MA and the Centers for Independent Living, the meetings are a chance to share the value of the program in anticipation of state budget-making season.

At the "roundtables," REquipment shares program impact stories. The stories make the case for continuing the program. REquipment is now so relied on that finding stories for each region of the state is pretty easy to do.

For example: "There was no possible way I could afford to get her the chair recommended by the PT department in her nursing home." - Shrewsbury

The Governor's FY27 budget proposal is expected later this month, and then in March or April, the House Ways and Means Committee's proposal will be released. As always, REquipment will make the case for maintaining our program budget and reuse community.

REquipment's "Why REquipment Wednesday" series now continues with an earnest purpose. Thank you for your likes and shares.

Video description is in the comments.



UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program
CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

From the Disability Policy Consortium
01/13/2026

From the Disability Policy Consortium

Happy Testimonial Tuesday, a day REquipment shares feedback about the power of reuse to make a huge difference for our M...
01/13/2026

Happy Testimonial Tuesday, a day REquipment shares feedback about the power of reuse to make a huge difference for our Massachusetts neighbors.

This fall, REquipment provided a complex power wheelchair for a 4-year-old to be able to attend school.

A school-based therapist made the request on her behalf.

The therapist explained that insurance would take "a few months," and in the meantime, this child needed to learn. The plan is to donate this REquipment-provided wheelchair back once insurance comes through.

How long is "a few months" to a child?

Thanks to donations from our generous reuse community, this little girl is keeping up with developmental opportunities and not losing ground.

"This program is amazing!," this school therapist wrote to REquipment. "Many of my students are not able to get equipment due to no or poor insurance coverage, and this program is life-changing for them."

Your donations help children succeed despite insurance hoops and hurdles.

Learn more at DMEreuse.org



UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program
CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

This Hands-Free Speaker Phone is still Available!Designed for easy, hands-free conversations up to 15 feet away, this de...
01/08/2026

This Hands-Free Speaker Phone is still Available!
Designed for easy, hands-free conversations up to 15 feet away, this device makes calling simple and accessible.

Features include:
• Voice-activated answering
• High fidelity speaker sound
• Wireless remote control
• One-touch operator access
• Optional accessories for added flexibility

Request it here: https://requipmentma.org/equipment/hands-free-speaker-phone

AT devices may also be shipped for $20 or delivered free of charge with a larger item.



UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program
CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

01/07/2026

Being Seen vs Being Helped

Disabled people are often met in extremes. We are either overlooked entirely or surrounded by help we did not ask for. Ignored on one end. Managed on the other.

What is missing in both is being seen.

Being helped without being seen can look like someone grabbing a wheelchair without asking. Speaking to a companion instead of directly to us. Rearranging our bodies or our belongings as if they are public property. Making decisions on our behalf because it seems faster or easier.

It can also look quieter than that. A well meaning person insisting they know what we need. A space that offers help only after something goes wrong. A solution offered before a question is asked.

Help like this often comes with good intentions. But intentions do not erase impact.

Being seen looks different.

Being seen is someone asking before acting. Do you want help? What would be useful? Is there anything I can do to make this easier?

Being seen is waiting for the answer. It is believing us when we say yes. And believing us when we say no. Being seen is offering a chair instead of assuming someone cannot stand. It is checking whether there is an accessible entrance before the event, not after someone arrives and struggles. It is addressing the disabled person directly, not through whoever happens to be nearby.

Autonomy does not disappear because someone needs support. Dignity does not vanish because a body moves differently or requires assistance.

Independence is not about doing everything alone. It is about having agency over how help shows up. So many disabled people learn to accept help quickly and politely, even when it takes something from us. We learn to say thank you while shrinking ourselves. We learn that refusing help can be read as ungrateful, difficult, or rude. Being seen leaves room for choice.

Too often, disabled people are helped without being heard and spoken for without being asked. The result is a kind of invisibility disguised as care.

Real support starts with listening. It starts with slowing down. It starts with understanding that the goal is not to feel good about helping, but to actually help.

Being seen requires humility. It means trusting disabled people to know our own bodies, our own needs, and our own limits. Help matters. But respect comes first. And being seen is not optional. It is the foundation.

Free, gently used, durable medical equipment is available without hoops or hurdles to Massachusetts residents. Delivery ...
01/06/2026

Free, gently used, durable medical equipment is available without hoops or hurdles to Massachusetts residents. Delivery is just $20.

Learn more. Visit DMEreuse.org

UCP of Western Massachusetts Stavros Center For Independent Living

Update: this has been requested by a family in Leicester!------Thank you to whoever donated a Blue Sky bike trailer. It ...
01/05/2026

Update: this has been requested by a family in Leicester!
------
Thank you to whoever donated a Blue Sky bike trailer. It may be freezing now, but it's never too early to dream of warmer days.

This is a wonderful device for the right household. The trailer is equipped with a canopy, a rear-facing seat, and a safety harness. The intended rider is a teen or small adult, and it carries up to 200 lbs.

The bike trailer's low center of gravity assures stability. A great ride for family togetherness!

Free to pick up in Worcester, or it may be delivered anywhere in Massachusetts for $20.

Please share and help REquipment find this bike trailer an appropriate new home.
The link to request it is in the comments.



UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program
CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

More Reuse Serendipity in Time for the Holidays!Yesterday, we shared the story of Michael's Christmas morning in Marshfi...
12/30/2025

More Reuse Serendipity in Time for the Holidays!

Yesterday, we shared the story of Michael's Christmas morning in Marshfield. Today, we're happy to report there's more — this time from Dorchester.

If you follow REquipment on social media, you might recall the post about the available one-arm-drive wheelchair that we kept asking you to share.

We knew someone out there needed a wheelchair that could be operated with just one arm. That's one of the important strengths of our statewide reuse program: we find great homes for unique devices.

Well, that chair — donated in Amherst — is now well-loved in Dorchester.

Here's the incredible story.

A woman born without a hand and forearm recently tore her ACL. At the hospital, she was sent home from the hospital with a knee brace, a crutch, and ... severe bruising under her arm. It seems that getting around with a knee brace and a single crutch is incredibly difficult. It was also damaging to her one hand.

Then on December 22, she discovered REquipment and immediately found that one-arm-drive wheelchair in our online inventory of free, available equipment. The chair was configured for a right-handed user — exactly what she needed. She could hardly believe it.

She collected it the next day.

"I just wanted to let you know that we were able to get the chair right in time for Christmas," she wrote REquipment. “Thank you so much for the quick and incredible help! Being on crutches has been brutal on one hand, and having this chair will make a world of difference.”

These connections are made possible by YOU — our generous reuse community. Donated devices change lives. Thank you.

If you’re able, please consider making a tax-deductible year-end gift today. Your generosity fuels the connections that turn donated equipment into dignity, independence, and relief.

Every gift makes a difference. Every gift matters.

Make a secure gift to REquipment: https://f.mtr.cool/epdbuphena

Learn more about REquipment at DMEreuse.org



Holiday ScheduleREquipment will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31st, and reopen on Friday, January 2, 2026. Have...
12/30/2025

Holiday Schedule
REquipment will close at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31st, and reopen on Friday, January 2, 2026. Have a wonderful New Year's, everyone!

You did this! You gave a man in Marshfield a great Christmas.Someone in our reuse community donated a very expensive Eas...
12/29/2025

You did this! You gave a man in Marshfield a great Christmas.

Someone in our reuse community donated a very expensive Easystand Evolve stander — the exact piece of equipment that Michael's mom, Kathleen, had been trying to obtain through insurance for more than 2 years.

Anthony, REquipment’s driver, knew right away that this delivery was something special. He had barely backed into the driveway when a woman ran out to greet him, jumping up and down, and soon pulling him into a hug.

Kathleen shared that insurance had delayed approval despite how important the stander is for Michael. The stander supports him in an upright position, allowing him to be at eye level with other adults, improving circulation, respiration, and bone density.

When we reached out to Kathleen for permission to share this story, she said yes — but asked if we could wait until after Christmas morning.

“This is going under the tree,” she told us.

Michael’s smile tells the rest of the story.

If you’d like to help REquipment make more durable medical and assistive technology dreams come true, please consider a tax-deductible gift today. If you've been meaning to get to it, now is a great time. Help REquipment close out 2025 strong. Every dollar covers essential program needs that donated devices alone cannot.

Thank you for making stories like this possible. Thank you for all that you do.

Reuse is about more than diverting valuable equipment from the waste stream — it’s our community caring for one another.

Make a secure donation at https://f.mtr.cool/sqfnislwca

Learn more about REquipment at DMEreuse.org



12/23/2025

Happy Holidays from REquipment!

Sending warm wishes to our amazing community and partners this holiday season. Together, we’re reducing waste and changing lives for individuals with disabilities, families, and caregivers—all while building a more inclusive, sustainable world.

Wishing you joy, connection, and plenty of holiday cheer.

Learn more about us at DMEreuse.org



[Video description is in the comments]

UCP of Western Massachusetts
Stavros Center For Independent Living
AdLib Center for Independent Living
Center For Living And Working, Inc
Northeast Independent Living Program
CORD - Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled
Disability Resource Center
SCIL, Southeast Center for Independent Living
Independence Associates

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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Our Story

REquipment gives gently used durable medical equipment a second life helping someone else in need. With start-up funding in 2013 from the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, REquipment was launched in December of 2013 to provide free refurbished medical devices to individuals and families in need of DME in Greater Boston. Thanks to our state legislators, REquipment received state funding to expand the program statewide in FY '16. In Spring '16, REquipment added two new reuse centers; Stavros Center for Independent Living in Amherst and United Cerebral Palsy of Berkshire County in Pittsfield. A “reuse” program, REquipment helps people obtain gently-used and refurbished durable medical equipment (DME) at no cost thanks to state and private funding. The project is funded by the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission To donate or receive DME, search our listings of available items at www.dmereuse.org.