In Orillia this Halloween, there’s one thing neighbours don’t want trick-or-treaters to be afraid of, and that’s getting to the candy. The Ashton Street neighbourhood is becoming Simcoe County’s first accessible Halloween street, one of just 13 across Canada chosen to make the spooky tradition more welcoming for children with mobility, sensory and neurological disabilities. This Oct. 31, neighbours will bring their treats out to accessible spots so stairs, curbs and other barriers don’t leave any ghosts, superheroes or princesses out of the fun. A first for Simcoe County Ashton Street is one of 13 streets in five provinces selected as the country’s “first official treat accessibly Halloween streets.” Each neighbourhood is led by volunteers who have rallied their neighbours to take part. According to the release, the streets have received 50 official accessibly lawn signs, which are going up this week. So far, 311 homes across the participating locations have signed on. The Halloween fun will get underway at 4 p.m. this year. Organizers say they hope the idea catches on beyond the first 13 streets. The other inaugural locations include Delta, B.C.; Calgary, Edmonton and Blairmore, Alta.; Swift Current, Sask.; Niverville, Man.; Hamilton, Ottawa and Toronto. One question on a six-year-old’s mind Treat Accessibly began in 2017 after six-year-old Siena Padulo asked her father, Rich Padulo, how a boy using a wheelchair could trick-or-treat on a Toronto street where every house had stairs. The family came up with a simple solution, instead of waiting for children to come to the front door, they moved their treats to the end of the driveway and put up a sign letting families know everyone was welcome. Neighbours soon followed in their tracks, and the idea began to spread. Since then, more than 300,000 Canadian homes have put an accessible sign on their lawn. The initiative has also grown to include 35 Halloween Villages in nine cities. “Every one of these 13 streets already does what we ask of every street in Canada: bring the treats to where every child can reach them,” Padulo said in the release. “Once you treat accessibly, it changes the way you treat people every day.” Here’s how you can take part Families taking part are encouraged to move their goodies to the end of the driveway. It’s suggested that those living in apartments or condos set up in the lobby. The idea is to make sure children who may have difficulty navigating stairs, steep driveways or other obstacles can still take part in the same Halloween tradition. “It does our heart good, and we imagine a better world for our kids. I know it seems silly that Halloween could do that. But I do believe because Halloween is so huge and simultaneously shared. It could be a platform for creating everyday change by helping every everyday homeowner learn about everyday accessibility,” added Padulo. Families outside and around Orillia can join in even if they don’t live on Ashton Street. The initiative is supported by Canadian Tire.
