Halloween can be more daunting than haunting for many children facing accessibility barriers if they wish to trick or treat.
For a second year, the law firm of Oatley Vigmond in Barrie is knocking down those barriers by hosting its accessible Halloween Village.
Karen Vigmond, partner at Oatley Vigmond, says the outdoor village is a low-sensory trick-or-treating experience for the young and young at heart.
Vigmond says the idea for this type of event came from the inspiration she and her family got from the work of Treat Accessibly, a grassroots movement founded in 2017 by the Padula family in Toronto.
"They raised awareness about accessibility issues children face with traditional trick or treating, and encouraged people who could make trick or treating more accessible" Vigmond explained.
She says that can mean putting out candy at the bottom of the driveway or stairs to ensure any physical barriers are removed for those who would be unable to come up the stairs or driveway.
The Halloween village won't have flashing lights or loud noises but will have festive decorations and balloons, and families can look forward to a photo booth, reflective Halloween bags and more.
"We also have staggered start times to ensure it never feels overcrowded and to ensure that we continue to keep it low-sensory so everybody has the space to move around at their own pace," said Vigmond.
Oatley Vigmond is offering an online pre-registration form, that will ask for information regarding the barriers families and individuals face.
The free event will be outdoors at the Oatley Vigmond office at 151 Ferris Lane on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Some businesses have partnered with Oatley Vigmond to create this Halloween experience for families in the community.
"This event will help to create greater awareness in the community of how to remove barriers and create a more welcoming inclusive environment for all," added Vigmond.
