Shriners Children's Hosts Wheelchair Costume Clinic
The Salt Lake City hospital created over 20 custom Halloween costumes for patients using wheelchairs.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Special Needs
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Shriners Children's Salt Lake City held an annual clinic on Thursday to design custom Halloween costumes that integrate with patients' wheelchairs. Hospital employees and volunteers worked in teams to build more than 20 unique designs, including a baseball player on a motorcycle.
Why it matters
The event addresses emotional and social needs by ensuring children who use wheelchairs can fully participate in Halloween. Parents noted that physical barriers like stairs often cause their children to feel excluded from traditional festivities.
Five volunteer pit crews used power tools and spray paint to fabricate the 20 costumes for the clinic. The participants included patients such as 9-year-old Jackson.
The players
Shriners Children's Salt Lake City
This is a specialized pediatric medical facility that provides comprehensive care and social support services to children.
The details
Teams of employees and volunteers collaborated directly with patients to custom-engineer structures that turn wheelchairs into part of the costume. Popular themes featured at the clinic included a football team mascot and a baseball player on a motorcycle.
Timeline
The event took place on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Culture Shift
This project aligns with the growing movement toward inclusive design that prioritizes social participation for children with mobility disabilities. By normalizing the wheelchair as a creative accessory rather than a barrier, the clinic challenges traditional standards of childhood play.
Families in the Salt Lake City area can look forward to future annual clinics that help children overcome accessibility hurdles during holidays. These events provide a practical model for how parents and caregivers can adapt costumes to ensure children remain included in community activities.
The takeaway
Inclusive celebrations rely on creativity to bridge the gap between physical limitations and social participation. Implementing simple structural modifications to mobility devices can drastically improve the holiday experience for children in the community.
Further reading
For more information on programs supporting pediatric accessibility, visit Special Needs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KSL.
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