The grassroots movement Treat Accessibly brought its message of inclusive Halloween fun to Westmount Shopping Centre on Saturday, encouraging families to make trick-or-treating accessible for children of all abilities. “Halloween is a time when most kids get to celebrate, participate, and play with their friends. For our clients, there can be barriers to participating the same way their peers do,” said Jill Bell, clinical services director at Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC). The pop-up event featured family-friendly activities and demonstrations on how to make Halloween more inclusive. “We’re offering tips like bringing your Halloween experience curbside, away from long lanes and stairs, so it’s accessible for all children,” said Becky Malacaria, director of corporate partnerships with Children’s Health Foundation. Volunteers and organizers shared information to help households create welcoming spaces for trick-or-treaters with mobility, sensory or other accessibility needs. The event also collected donations to support TVCC programs. “If you want to support children with their walkers and wheelchairs, splinting, casting, adaptive fitness, therapeutic pool, speech therapy or autism therapies, Children’s Health Foundation is where you can make a donation,” said Malacaria. Founded in 2017 by the Padulo family, Treat Accessibly began after they realized a neighbour using a wheelchair could not easily reach their home on Halloween. Since then, more than 100,000 homes across Canada have joined the movement by displaying the campaign’s orange lawn sign. Organizers say the goal remains “Happy Halloween… EveryBODY!” a reminder that the holiday should be fun and barrier-free for everyone. For more information or to request a free lawn sign, visit treataccessibly.com.
