If dressing up for Halloween is your thing, and you use a mobility scooter or power wheelchair, you probably already know it can be an indispensable asset for your disguise.
With a little creativity, a mobility device turns into a spaceship or a chariot, a school bus, a race car or a landspeeder.
The world of cosplay has unleashed some stunning creativity when it comes to integrating wheelchairs and other mobility devices into costume design.
You’ve got to check out the brilliant work they do over at Magic Wheelchair, building custom costume wheelchairs for kids.
But even at a more attainable, neighborhood-Halloween-costume-shop level, adaptive costumes aren’t just trendy, they’re starting to become normal.
However, at Pride Mobility, we still see some gaps in this emerging market. Just about all the retail costumes out there are for kids. We all know adults like to dress up every once in a while, too.
So in the absence of a wide selection of adaptive costumes, it’s up to you to get creative and experiment. Just in case your well of creativity is running a little dry, here at Pride Mobility we put together 5 excellent ideas to fill it up again.
1. DIY Mobility Device Transformation
Before we get too far on this first idea, remember to decorate only the frame of your scooter with your choice of accent.
Do not attach anything to the wheels or near the wheels to avoid creating a safety hazard. But there are still plenty of spots on your mobility scooter or power wheelchair frame that you can attach decorations to.
So grab a pack of zip ties and trick out your mobility scooter or power wheelchair with something like the following:
You should be able to find most of these things at your local arts and crafts store or buy them online with the links above.
If you ride a Pride mobility scooter with a standard front basket, pick a pop culture character, one who’s sure to grab attention, to stick in there and call it a day. The Child from the Star Wars “Mandalorian” series is instantly recognizable even among people who haven’t seen the show. He’s also adorable.
2. Tastefully Simple Costume
Wear a funny hat, tuck a big red flower behind your ear, dye your hair with temporary hair color. There are lots of ways to dress up and change your appearance without going full on bizarro.
A simple tweak to your getup, something out of the ordinary, will grab your friends’ and family’s attention and get you in on the action.
3. Buy a Halloween Costume for your Mobility Device
Not into DIY? Just buy it!
The retailer Target broke news a couple years ago when it began marketing adaptive and wheelchair costumes for kids with disabilities. Sure, they’re designed for kids, but who’s to say grownups can’t turn their power wheelchairs into a pirate ship, a magic carriage or a race car?
4. Go as a Pop Culture Character Who Uses a Mobility Device
You’ll need to tap some creativity and maybe even push some boundaries, but here are some fun characters to spoof as a pop culture character. Even though they’re all men, women can absolutely give it a shot. No matter what, just be prepared to start a conversation.
- Professor X from “X-Men”
- Christopher Reeves (Superman actor)
5. Tag-Team with Someone
Coordinated costumes always earn bonus points. For the fellas, go as Doc Brown and Marty McFly or Han Solo and Chewbacca. Ladies, grab two other friends, you could dress up as the trio of fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.” Only one pal handy? Try going as Velma and Daphne from “Scooby Doo.”
Complete the look with this wheelchair Mystery Machine costume we found on Etsy.