One organization is working to make an event like Halloween more inclusive for everyone.
Treat Accessibly held its third annual event in Calgary on Saturday, and hundreds of costumed kiddos backed a usually quiet Kensington neighbourhood to take part in the fun.
The idea is that instead of having trick-or-treaters walk up and knock on your door, which can prevent children with mobility issues from partaking, you set up your treat-giving station in your yard or driveway.
Rich Padulo, the founder of Treat Accessibly, says one simple change allows more people to participate.
“What we implore homeowners to do is take action,” Padulo said. “(Hand out) treats from outside, the end of the driveway, take out the barriers that children with disabilities face, and when they do that, they will actually have a better more enjoyable experience because they’re part of the community.”
While Padulo is the founder, it was actually his daughter Siena who came up with the idea.
“We saw a family coming down our street and the little boy was using a wheelchair,” Siena said. “We realized that he couldn’t trick or treat at our house for Halloween because of the stairs leading up to our front door and we were heartbroken.”
While this is the third year the event is taking place in Calgary, the movement itself began in 2017, and has only grown in popularity and uptake across Canada.
If you want to show your home is more treat-accessible this Halloween, you can pick up a free lawn sign at any Pet Valu location.