Trick-or-treating made accessible for everyone: ‘So much fun and it’s so easy’

Trick-or-treating is a fun event for kids, but some children with disabilities can’t take part.

One company is trying to make the event inclusive to all.

Treat Accessibly started in 2017 when Rich Padulo’s six-year-old daughter asked him how their neighbour in a wheelchair would be able to trick-or-treat at their house, as it had stairs.

“I didn’t have an answer for her. But that night we figured it out and we actually made a sign very much like the one you see and put it on out on the lawn,” said Padulo, Treat Accessibly co-founder.

Since then, the father-daughter duo has sent out 250,000 lawn signs across the country and have been hosting accessible Halloween villages across Canada.

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“Our goal is actually by 2025 to have 400,000 homes, one to represent each child with a disability in Canada. So they can feel like there’s always there really rooting for them. Like there’s always going to be somebody that’s going to try and help them and make sure that they feel safe, that they feel included and they’re just like everybody else,” said Siena Padulo, Treat Accessibly co-founder.

This is the first year the group has been operating in Saskatchewan and they hope that by next year, Saskatchewan can host its own accessible Halloween village.

“I’m extremely happy and thankful for this opportunity to see it grow so much and to see how many more people it has effected in a positive way,” said Siena.

Signs can be picked up from any Pet Valu family of stores or from a local Re/Max agent.

Rich says the best way to make your home accessible is by moving outside.

“Being accessible, Halloween is so much fun and it’s so easy. You just treat from your garage or your driveway, and that removes 90 per cent of the barriers,” said Rich.

Rich and his daughter remind people the importance of being accessible as you never know when you will need it.

“Eventually all of us will be faced with a disability based on age. And by creating a more inclusive world and teaching our children to create a more inclusive world for us as we grow up would be just a wonderful platform,” said Rich.