Brampton Halloween event creates accessible trick-or-treating for children with disabilities

BRAMPTON · Hundreds of people attended a first-of-its-kind Halloween event in Brampton on Saturday designed to be accessible for children with mobility issues and other disabilities. The Halloween Accessibility Village was set up outside the Paul Palleschi Recreation Centre, creating a flat, low-barrier and low-sensory environment that mimicked a residential street. Organizer Gunjan Sharda said the goal was to make the holiday inclusive for children of all abilities. "What people don't realize is most homes have accessibility issues. Many have stairs, some can be overly frightening and that causes a state of overwhelm for some children," said Sharda.

The event was run in partnership with real estate brokerage RE/MAX Canada and the grassroots agency Treat Accessibly Canada. Treat Accessibly Canada says it has made 300,000 doorsteps across the country more accessible to children during Halloween since 2017. It is working with 10 RE/MAX partners across Canada, including four in Ontario. Sara Martins attended the village with her two special needs sons after struggling to find accessible Halloween events. Her four-year-old son uses a wheelchair, and Martins said activities like trick-or-treating often make her kids feel left out.

"Our biggest hurdle is houses with stairs," said Martins. "So when we go trick-or-treating for a house, a lot of times his brother will go up, point down and say 'Could you give me some for my brother?'" She said it was nice to have an event just for them where they could see other kids like themselves. April Creamer also attended with her 12-year-old step-daughter Daria Alcomo, who uses a wheelchair. Creamer said her step-daughter often cannot attend festivals due to challenges like large crowds, uneven pavements and narrow doors.

"To actually be somewhere she can literally go through and do whatever she wants here, she doesn't have to worry about getting hit by a car, or people running into her, or not being able to get into something ... it's fantastic," said Creamer. She described the constant stress of ensuring her child's safety in crowds, where people often overlook Alcomo or run into her. Both Creamer and Martins believe awareness around improving accessibility has increased, but they say change is not happening fast enough. They urged people to consider the impact of exclusion on families where children require special assistance. Creamer suggested people could stand outside buildings that are not easily accessible to give out candy, rather than having someone go to a doorstep on behalf of a child in a wheelchair. Martins said events like the Halloween village are a good reminder of why accessibility is important, but that need must extend to other public spaces like parks and changing tables. Organizer Gunjan Sharda said she hopes the event can become annual and inspire other communities to prioritize accessibility so all children can feel included.

With files from CBC News