Accessible, inclusive trick-or-treating for kids of all abilities

It’s been a tough year for all, but for children who have spent much of their summer unable to play with friends and do the things they love most, times have felt unfairly ‘un-fun.’ For the over 400,000 kids with mobility issues or compromised immune systems, it has been that much worse. However, this Halloween you can help ensure a safe, fun, and public health-compliant Halloween to brighten dampened spirits and create some excitement.

Treat Accessibly, RE/MAX Canada, and The Home Depot are working on the 2020 Accessible Trick or Treating initiative. Now in its third year, the Treat Accessibly campaign is even more relevant in 2020, in the midst of COVID-19. Halloween is bound to be different this year, but Treat Accessibility’s goal is to make trick-or-treating safer, socially distanced, and accessible to all.

The initiative serves as a callout for Canadian homeowners to make their homes safe and accessible for children with mobility issues and compromised immune systems during Halloween, which is now more important than ever. Here are some ways to make Halloween COVID-safe and accessible.

HANDING OUT CANDY? ACCESSIBLE TIPS FOR HOME OWNERS:

• Place an Accessible Trick or Treating sign on your front lawn one week before Halloween (follow @TreatAccessibly for updates on where to get a sign near you).
• Create a trick-or-treating station at end of your driveway 
• Clear driveway and pathways
• Make sure the path to your trick-or-treating area is well lit
• Refrain from the use of strobe lights
• Move cars out of the driveway to allow better accessibility for trick-or-treaters
• Make sure any pets are kept safely away from the front of the house
• While our Treat Accessibly lawn signs are recyclable, we hope you store sign with the rest of your Halloween decor and celebrate accessibly every year

COVID-SAFER SUGGESTIONS: FOR HOME OWNERS HANDING OUT CANDY:

• Setting up your station at the end of your driveway supports outdoor social distancing 
• Wear a face mask, similar to how you would when shopping
• Only handle the candy or other treats your distributing with gloves and hand it out directly from the bulk box or bag you purchased at the store
• Don’t leave out self-serve candy or treat bowls
• Draw temporary chalk lines on your driveway leading to your trick-or-treat station, 2-metres apart, to help kids and parents approach your trick-or-treating station in a way that’s familiar to when they check-out at a store.

COVID-SAFER SUGGESTIONS: FOR ADULTS TAKING KIDS TRICK-OR-TREATING:

• Approach the experience similar to going grocery shopping, be mindful of social-distancing and bottlenecks at trick-or-treating stations. Be patient, take advantage of the time to share a story or two with your neighbours
• Sanitize yours and your children’s hands often or provide your children with sanitizer to do themselves
• Wear a face mask, similar to how you would when shopping
• Sanitize all candy when you get home or let it sit safely somewhere for a few hours before enjoying
• If your children are trick-or-treating without you this year, maybe reconsider and go with them or take the time to share responsible trick-or-treating practices listed above and why it is so important for everyone.

This Halloween, take the time to make sure Halloween can be safe and accessible for everyone. Accessiblity signs are available for free at participating RE/MAX offices and The Home Depot Canada locations across the country or can be downloaded from the Treat Accessibly website.