Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday, taking place in the best season of the year. Everything about autumn makes me smile, but nothing more so than Halloween. Candy, horror, and costumes. What more could you want? So, with Halloween just a week away, I wanted to address this holiday through a disability lens.

I’m 37, so I have celebrated Halloween every which way. I’ve done my share of trick or treating, hit the parties in my 20s, and even visited Salem a few years ago. More recently, I have returned to the joy of trick or treating by giving out candy. I also walked the block with my young niece and nephew last year. They were dressed as a bee and beekeeper respectively, and myself as a plague doctor.

Halloween in general is a lot less stressful than Thanksgiving or Christmas, and costs way less. This aspect makes it easy for many people to participate, and yet, there are some blind spots. A holiday that is all about candy is going to alienate kids who have food allergies or severe illness that prevents candy completely. Many people can enjoy a party, but if there is a strobe light on for a spooky effect, then anyone with epilepsy won’t be able to come.

It’s really hard to address these issues if you’re not aware of them. It’s also one thing to have a strobe light at a party when you have confirmed no one has any issue with it. However, if you put a strobe on your porch where trick or treaters of all kinds will see it, you cannot guarantee someone with epilepsy won’t walk by and have a seizure.

The following is a list of things to consider for your fellow disabled trick or treaters and party goers, along with any helpful suggestions. Not everything on the list may apply to your celebrations, but I ask you to go through the list and consider incorporating what you can so everyone can enjoy this wonderful holiday.

1. We are still in a pandemic, so it is still a good idea to incorporate a mask into your costume. This especially goes for indoor parties where the virus spreads so easily. At the very least, please get the new bivalent vaccine booster to help protect not just yourself, but your family, friends and neighbors too.

2. If food is offered at a party, try to have a variety of safe food options for any food-sensitive guests. This is not just allergies, some people can have triggers outside common allergies. If possible, find out if there are any particular food requests. If you can’t meet specific food restrictions, do at least go for the most common allergies, such as dairy, eggs, and nuts. When it comes to allergen-friendly candy, try to include simple sugar-based sweets like Dots, Sour Patch Kids, Smarties, Skittles, Starburst, Swedish Fish, and Nerds. For kids who are severely restricted, consider participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project and hand out mini toys.

3. If you’re having themed alcoholic drinks, make sure there are alcohol-free versions. Many disabled people have conditions or medications that restrict alcohol consumption. It’s a good rule of thumb, so designated drivers don’t have to miss out on having fun drinks too. Also, make sure you always have plenty of water available.

4. Halloween lighting is always a must, but as mentioned above, please don’t use strobe lighting, it can induce seizures for some people. Flickering lights at a low frequency are safe, but anything with fast flashing and super bright light is a big no.

5. If you want to make a black cake in the spirit of Halloween, do not use activated charcoal. This ingredient is used when people have overdosed on pills to absorb the medication. That means if someone is on important medication, it will neutralize it. There are other black food color options, like squid ink. Grapefruit can also neutralize medicine, so avoid it in drinks too.

6. Make sure there is plenty of seating at your party or event and your physically disabled friends will be very appreciative.

7. Consider the volume of the music. First, you may have guests with hearing loss and sensory overload who find it extremely difficult to communicate with music that’s too loud. Second, it’s also nice for your neighbors who could also be disabled and want to enjoy Halloween in peace.

8. If you are renting a venue for the party, try to pick one that is handicapped accessible. Despite the ADA, there are still lots of buildings designed without disabled people in mind. Definitely consult your disabled guests on what they need. They may already know how well a venue accommodates their disability.

9. Unless you’re running a haunted house, I strongly suggest no jump scares. People with PTSD or other medical issues should be able to enjoy this holiday too, without having it ruined by an unnecessary panic attack. If you feature some kind of scare for trick or treaters, it should be opt in and not terrify people walking by on the street.

10. When I was a kid, there was a lot more climbing stairs and knocking on doors. These days, most people go outside to watch trick or treaters and if you have steps, I would suggest doing the same. I have a huge stairway leading to my front door and when kids come up, inevitably some can’t. So, if possible, make it easier for our really young or disabled trick or treaters and enjoy a night of costume watching. Also, only incorporate your dog if you can control them.

This is not an exhaustive list of all potential disability issues for Halloween, but it’s a good place to start. Most importantly, ask the disabled and chronically ill people in your life what you can do to make Halloween fun for everyone.