New BrunswickThe City of Dieppe is encouraging people to mark their home as accessible on a new online, interactive map, so families who have children with disabilities can better plan their Halloween routes. Map identifies homes with no physical barriers, allergy-friendly treatsHannah Rudderham · CBC News · Posted: Oct 29, 2025 1:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesOn Dieppe’s Halloween map, the red pumpkins represent accessible homes for people with mobility disabilities, the green ones represent allergy-friendly homes, and the pink ones mean the home is both. (City of Dieppe)The City of Dieppe is striving to make trick-or-treating a little more accessible for young witches, ghosts and pumpkins with disabilities this Halloween.The city is encouraging people to mark their homes as accessible on an online, interactive map, so families who have children with disabilities can better plan their Halloween routes. Denis LeBlanc, the municipality’s community development director, said the initiative started last year, taking inspiration from an idea in Ontario, where a city chose one neighbourhood of around 14 homes where every house was accessible for all. “This year, we decided to grow it larger and offer it to the whole community,” he said.Denis LeBlanc, Dieppe’s community development director, said that making a home more accessible to kids with mobility disabilities can simply mean bringing the treats closer to the street, so there are no steps, and it isn’t far to walk. (Submitted by Denis LeBlanc)The map allows people to mark whether their trick-or-treat station is accessible to people with mobility challenges, if it’s accessible to those with allergies or both. LeBlanc said making a home more accessible to kids with mobility disabilities can simply mean bringing the treats closer to the street, so there are no steps and it isn’t far to walk. He said people can also ensure that the lighting is sufficient, so people can see where they’re going and avoid flashing lights.The City of Dieppe is delivering lawn signs to those who register their homes, indicating they are accessible. (Submitted by Denis LeBlanc)Haley Flaro, the executive director of Ability New Brunswick, said some other accessibility considerations could be ensuring there’s a wide and smooth pathway to the home and being mindful of overwhelming and scary Halloween displays.People can check the interactive map in advance of trick-or-treating to see what houses are accessible for physical disabilities and allergies, but the city is also delivering lawn signs to those who register their homes that mark them as accessible. Flaro said this type of initiative is important for inclusion, and she hopes to see the idea catch on with other municipalities. Haley Flaro, executive director of Ability New Brunswick, said having an accessibility lens for community initiatives is important. (Radio-Canada)“How amazing it is to be included in your own community, in your own neighbourhood, and feel safe and supported going, you know, door-to-door trick-or-treating with your family,” Flaro said.“New Brunswick does have the second-highest rate of disability in Canada, next only to Nova Scotia, so having an accessibility lens for all on every community initiative — and Halloween is a community and neighbourhood initiative — is so critical.”ABOUT THE AUTHORHannah Rudderham is a reporter with CBC New Brunswick. She grew up in Cape Breton, N.S., and moved to Fredericton in 2018. You can send story tips to hannah.rudderham@cbc.ca.With files from Information Morning Moncton
Dieppe launches online map showing trick-or-treaters which homes are accessible
