Halloween 2022: Inclusive Tips and DIY Accessible Costumes

Halloween is just around the corner, and everyone is busy decorating their houses, buying candy and getting their costumes in order. Though the costumes and scary decorations can be fun for some, the conditions of trick-or-treating on Halloween night can be anxiety-provoking for others.

 

Here are a few tips to create an inclusive Halloween experience at your house:

• Avoid wearing bulky masks so children with speech and hearing difficulties can understand you better
• Keep the candy area well-lit for children with vision difficulties and tell children what is in the candy bowl in case they can’t see it well
• If you have stairs leading up to your front door, consider setting up at the curb for children with motor difficulties to have easy access
• Practice acceptance – some children find costumes uncomfortable and may show up holding just a candy bag
• Practice patience – some children may need extra time to approach or ask/indicate that they’d like some candy
• Offer non-edible treats such as stickers or small toys for those that may have food allergies or sensitivities

Visit www.treataccessibly.com to read about a wonderful initiative started by a Toronto family wanting to ensure that their neighbors could experience trick-or-treating without having to navigate obstacles at their home. The project has grown to include neighborhood initiatives and families across North America are joining in.

 

Accessible Costumes

Every year at Beit Issie Shapiro we hold a costume make-a-thon, together with volunteers from The Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), to create costume magic for children that use mobility devices. Check out this post for some amazing ideas.

This year, our organizations collaborated again to create something new for families – a series of DIY videos, so you can easily make some of these amazing designs on your own! You still have time to create some Halloween magic 🙂

Click the photo to read about the project and see the videos.

If you’d rather buy a costume, a number of popular stores offer a selection of adaptive costumes with accessories for mobility devices and costumes with easy access and fastenings. The selection has really grown over the last few years with something for everyone!

 

Target                                  Walmart                                  Amazon

 

How is your community is creating an inclusive experience this Halloween? Let us know!

Happy Halloween everyone! 🎃