Inclusive Halloween

Yes, I know it’s the first week of November, but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass to blog about the wonderful party experience my kids and I had this week.

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This year, my community threw its first-ever (and first-annual, I’m told) inclusive Halloween event. A large room in the community center was lined on all four walls with trick-or-treating stations sponsored by local businesses, community organizations, and city counsel members; and a row of tables were set up in the center of the room with Halloween crafts and activities. For an afternoon, all could participate in the fun of Halloween without the accessibility, food allergy, and sensory sensitivity challenges that usually accompany this holiday.

So much thought and care was put into this event. Here are a few of the accommodations they thought of:

The event was held in a ground-floor room of an accessible building, making it wheelchair, walker, and stroller-friendly.
The lights stayed on the whole time, and
There were no strobe lights or flashing decorations, making it sensory-friendly, and seizure-friendly.
There was no music or sound effects, again out of respect for sensory sensitivities.
Every trick-or-treat station was Teal Pumpkin approved, providing non-food items such as stickers, glow sticks, fidget toys, and mini cans of playdough for those with food allergies.
The booths that also provided food treats sorted their treats into categories such as “gluten-free” and “dairy-free,” and posted the ingredients list of their candy so families could choose safe food options.
Each booth had photos to represent “Yes” and “No,” providing a way for non-verbal trick-or-treaters to express their preferences.
The activity stations were sensory-friendly, with nothing gross or slimy.
Halloween decorations were minimal. The ones that were on display were friendly-looking and child-safe even for the smallest and most sensitive little ones.
All were welcome to participate, regardless of whether or not they felt comfortable wearing a costume, or speaking to the booth leaders.
All ages were welcome to participate, which included several teenagers and adults with intellectual disabilities.

I was blown away by how well done this event was. It was a fantastic idea, thoughtfully put together, and much appreciated. My kids had a great time, and I could see that they were not the only ones. There were so many people at this event that would find traditional trick-or-treating very difficult, or would normally choose to not participate at all.

I’m so thankful for this kind of community spirit, and hope other communities pick up the idea next year.