Treat Accessibly: A National Movement & Plan for 2026
Transcript
RICH PADULO: Fellow Canadians, kindred spirits. What if I told you you could change the world? Not forever, not even for a day, but for one night you could change everything for millions of kids. One night that says you belong. One night where Canada creates the biggest single act of community inclusion this world has ever witnessed.
This isn't a dream anymore. This is a mission, and it starts on the front lawns of everyday Canadians. Lemme take you back.
October 2017. I was with my daughter. We were putting pumpkins on the stairs to our front door, and we looked up when we saw a little boy using a wheelchair, and we realized immediately he couldn't trick or treat at our home because of the stairs. We looked at every house on our street and they all had stairs.
So that night we took action, we made a sign. It said accessible trick or treating, and we planted it on our lawn one week before Halloween. And on Halloween night we treated from the end of our driveway, and that night we said something different. All children are welcome here. And that night created a movement.
Today over 250 000 homes across Canada have our lawn sign and treat accessibly. We host Treat Accessibly Halloween villages in nine cities, coast to coast, and our family is supported by people at Canadian Tire, REMAX, Kinder and Pet Valu. Every single one, ensuring that our signs and villages remain 100% free.
Mayors and ministers meet with our family. Capital cities across the country will be proclaiming Treat Accessibly Day this year. And our daughter has been on the news over 200 times in the last two years, preparing Canada for what's next.
October 2026. Halloween is on a Saturday. So every child, whether they use a wheelchair, live with autism, face any barriers due to accessibility or health, will be able to go trick or treating in a neighbourhood and community and homes that have thought about them.
No more sitting it out. No more waiting at the curb. This isn't about ramps and candy. It's about a message: You belong. You are part of this community. You are welcome here.
I want you to imagine a million homes, a million signs on lawns, a million candles burning, a million acts of kindness for millions of children getting to celebrate the joy of Halloween together. That is not a campaign, that is a revolution of empathy. And it only takes one night to make it real.
So let me be clear. This movement started at our home, but it lives at yours. The beauty of Treat Accessibly is it is not complicated. No government bills, no infrastructure overhauls, just a free sign, a little thought and some effort, but basically just adapt what you're already doing. And when enough people do it, that ripple becomes a wave. A wave that can be felt into every province, every city, every child.
So what can you do? Three things. First, commit your home. Go to treat accessibly.com, get a free sign. Two, talk about it. Talk about it with your friends, your family, your neighbours, your community. And three circle October 31st, 2026. That's our night. That's our moon landing. That's when Canada shows the world a sign of positive change and what it means to think beyond barriers with inclusion in your heart.
I'll leave you with this. Changing the world doesn't mean forever. Sometimes showing the world what can be is enough to spark everyday change. We can't change everything in a night, but we can create a night that includes all children.
So let's make Halloween the most inclusive, most joyful, most human night of the year. Let's treat accessibly, and show our kids that for them we can change.
Happy Halloween, everybody. Let's change the world for a night. Thank you.