How to treat accessibly this Halloween

A lot of front doors are at the top of a set of steps, and for some kids Halloween stops at the bottom of them. Treat Accessibly is a movement started by the Padulo family in Canada to change that, and most of what it asks for is one small move on Halloween night. This post condenses their tips for home haunters and yard displays. The full versions are on their site, linked at the bottom.

How it started

In October 2017 the Padulo family was putting pumpkins on the stairs to their front door when they saw a little boy in their neighborhood who uses a wheelchair. He could not trick-or-treat at their house because of the stairs, and every house on the street had stairs. So they made a sign that said accessible trick-or-treating, put it on the lawn a week before Halloween, and handed out treats from the end of the driveway. That was the start of Treat Accessibly.

The one change: move the treats to a step-free spot

Hand out treats from somewhere a child can reach without stairs: the end of the driveway, the garage, the lawn near the sidewalk, the bottom of your steps, or the lobby if you live in an apartment building. Then:

• Keep the path to you clear and well lit.
• Park the car on the street or in the garage so the driveway is open.
• No driveway? Treat Accessibly suggests decorating your car and treating from the trunk.

Tips by barrier

Treat Accessibly groups the rest by the barrier each tip removes. Many disabilities are not visible, and these steps work without anyone having to explain anything.

Mobility. A step-free station and a clear, lit path, as above.

Sensory. Keep lighting steady instead of flashing, skip strobes, and turn down loud or sudden sounds. Greet kids calmly.

Neurological and developmental. Keep it simple, predictable and friendly, and be patient. Never require a child to speak. If a child doesn't respond, look to their parent for cues.

Allergies and health. Not every child can eat candy. Keep non-food treats like stickers, crayons or pencils in a bowl separate from the candy.

Low vision. Some kids can't see what they're getting. Tell them what the treat is.

Age. Some trick-or-treaters look older than you'd expect. They are just as excited about your treats.

Pets. A calm, kid-friendly dog is welcome at the station. Treating from outside also means fewer knocks and doorbells for the pets indoors, and a quiet room gives them somewhere to take a break.

If your yard is a haunt

This part is from me, not from Treat Accessibly. Fog, strobes, jump scares and a loud soundtrack are the point of a lot of home haunts, and the sensory tip above can feel at odds with that. A few ways to do both:

• Put the treat station at the sidewalk end of the display, so a family can get a treat without walking through the scares.
• Run the display calmer early in the evening, with steady lights and lower volume, and turn it up after the youngest kids have gone home.
• If your display is gentle all night, set your listing's scare level to Sensory-Friendly in Edit House on FrightMaps, so families see it on your listing.

Put out a sign

Treat Accessibly's free lawn sign tells families ahead of time that your home is set up for them. They suggest putting it out a week or two before Halloween so families can plan a route, and checking your local bylaws on lawn signs first. The signs are a Canadian program: their Lawn Signs page covers pickup at retailers across Canada and a version you can print yourself.

In Canada: nominate your street by September 25

For Halloween 2026, which falls on a Saturday, Treat Accessibly is choosing 25 of the busiest trick-or-treating streets in Canada to become its first Halloween Streets. Selected streets get up to CA$1,000 in support for treats and supplies, lawn signs, a step-by-step playbook and national recognition.

• Nominations close September 25, 2026, and the 25 streets will be chosen by October 1.
• The form takes a few minutes.
• If you don't live on the street, send the page to someone who does.
• Streets that aren't selected still get Treat Accessibly's free tools to rally their neighbors.

Nominate a street on Treat Accessibly

Each street is organized by a Street Captain. The Street Captain toolkit has an email you can send your neighbors and a flyer.

The full tips

• Treating tips by barrier
• How to treat accessibly at home
• Nominate a Canadian street

Treat Accessibly is run by the Padulo family. You can find them on social media as @treataccessibly.