Making Halloween Accessible
Ghosts, ghouls, and witches everywhere! It's the sign that the spookiest time of the year is finally back in town: Halloween.
Ghosts, ghouls, and witches everywhere! It's the sign that the spookiest time of the year is finally back in town: Halloween.
Having a great time on Halloween can sometimes include challenges for wheelchair users. This year, we have decided to help you find the most wicked costumes and plan the spookiest activities to enjoy a worry-free Halloween season.
Finding a Halloween costume can be challenging, and for kids with wheelchairs or disabilities, it can be even more difficult.
Luckily, more and more companies are making conscious efforts to offer adaptive costumes that incorporate their mobility device.
From Frozen to Jurassic Park and even Paw Patrol, check out these amazing costumes that Party City, Disney, and Amazon offer that incorporate mobility devices for kids.
Ariel Adaptive Costume for Kids – The Little Mermaid
Nowadays, little ones (and adults as well) have more options to dress up like one of their favorite characters in movies and TV shows, including people who are played by actual wheelchair users! We still need more representation in the media, but we believe this representation will continue to increase with proper support.
Why not dress up as Nessa Rose from Wicked? A movie based on this amazing Broadway musical will come out later this year, starring the great disabled actress Marissa Bode plays her!
Another great idea would be to dress up as Wheelchair Veterinarian Barbie from the Barbie movie (2023). This character was played by the amazing Great Britain Paralympian champion, Grace Harvey.
Or maybe dress up like Saraqael in Good Omens Season 2! This angelic character is played by the incredible English actress, comedian, broadcaster, and international disability rights activist, Liz Carr.
Carving pumpkins can be super fun, but with limited hand dexterity, it can be particularly challenging. There are a variety of grip adaptors to choose from to create a customized tool for carving if desired.
Adaptive Tools – Assistive Technology Network has a great article on how to make pumpkin carving accessible, with ideas and tools that you can use to make this experience a fun and safe one. Click here to read the full article.
You can also buy an easy pumpkin carving tool to make carving easier. We found this one on Amazon that could be easy to use.
While carving pumpkins is fun, sometimes you want to use them not just as Jack-O-Lanterns but as cute Halloween decorations that will last longer. In this case, painting a pumpkin is another fun activity which can be incorporated into your celebrations.
You can choose either plastic or real pumpkins to paint over. You can also add cute googly eyes and make it as unique as you want it to be.
Check out these super cool ideas from Hallmark (see image below). You can also go to Pinterest and get inspired to make the spookiest painted pumpkin ever.
For the little ones, many pediatric facilities across Canada and the USA host a “Halloween Walk” where kids, families, and friends can enjoy a fun and safe evening of trick-or-treating. Make sure to contact your pediatrics facility if you want to learn more about this kind of event.
If you are feeling inspired, you can also organize your own accessible haunted house, making sure that you have ramps, wider doorways, and smooth paths. Also, make sure that any scare actors or interactive features are accessible at a seated height.
Finally, you can also plan Halloween games that are inclusive of everyone. Consider adaptive versions of classic games like pumpkin bowling, wheelchair races, or Halloween-themed bingo.
When celebrating any holiday, it’s important to consider safety measures. We have gathered some pointers to ensure you remain safe and healthy this Halloween.
On behalf of everyone at Motion Composites, we wish you the spookiest Halloween time!