Siena Padula has shown how we all can make a difference.
Siena won the Rick Hanson Foundation Difference Maker Award in Ontario for her efforts in creating awareness for accessible inclusion through Treat Accessibly. Treat Accessibly was founded in 2017, when the Padulo Family realized that they had to change how they set up their trick-or-treating station. Since their home had stairs, it meant that if someone in their neighbourhood used a wheelchair, they would not be able to access their home. So, by simply changing their setup, and bringing trick or treating curbside, the Padula family started a grassroots movement.
Siena and her family began working together with the community, private sector, non-profits, and government. They partnered with various organizations to provide lawn signs for neighbours to post, showing support for their community. They made it their goal to teach all children about accessible inclusion every day; with Halloween as a way to help introduce the practice of Treat Accessibly.
An accessible Halloween for one child has now grown across Canada, with over 200,000 homes supporting accessible trick-or-treating, letting their neighbours know with their Treat Accessibly lawn sign proudly displayed on their front lawn.
They have also created this digital flip book, to share the origin story of Treat Accessibly, which also includes a discussion guide, on how children can be accessibly inclusive every day.
https://www.treataccessibly.com/book
Checkout their website, www.treataccessibly.com or visit them on social media to see how you and your neighbourhood can become a part of this incredible initiative, making Halloween more accessible and inclusive for all.