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50 Times People With Disabilities Stole The Show With Their Epic Halloween Costumes
Halloween is about creativity and self-expression, and this year, it's no different. But since we have already carved our pumpkins and hung up all the decorations, everything that remains now is to suit up.
For this list, Bored Panda put together a selection of bold and memorable costumes designed for the spooky occasion by people with disabilities.
These innovative outfits not only reflect the unique personalities and passions of their creators but also challenge stereotypes and promote inclusivity. What a way to celebrate!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My Passion For One-Legged Halloween Costumes Continues To Burn
Sleepy Panda 1 year ago
I knew Josh would be on this list! His halloween costumes are always top tier! He always outdoes himself every year! I can’t wait to see this year’s costume!
Miss Tinker 1 year ago
We don’t really celebrate Halloween here in Australia (at least not as much as America) but I always look forward to seeing the costumes, especially from this guy!
Auntriarch 1 year ago
We don't here in UK much - but I do! Any excuse for a bit of fun really
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Ben Aziza 1 year ago
The IHOP one and Genie one are my fav. The more i think about it the more i like the Ihop one more! The wordplay of it! Myself i use my E wheelchair for long distances outside but inside i rely on my cane. But alot of times i just say F it and do a penguin walk to go to the WC or something instead of fetching the cane. So I ASSUME HE does HOP alot if he is ever without crutches!
RELATED:
#2
My Wife Is Bedbound So I Made Her This Halloween Costume
My wife has been bedridden with a severe illness, but she loves to dress up for Halloween. So I made this costume for her.
Seeing her smile made the under-the-fingernail cardboard paper cut almost worth it.
(Credits: costume idea my wife’s, house design inspired by Aubree Originals, made by me)
Jennifer Smith 1 year ago
For those who want to know She has myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). I have this as well and I know her because we are in the same online support group.
Amy Roberts 1 year ago
I’ve seen this on BP several Halloweens in a row, but it still always makes me smile.
Evolbeky 1 year ago
Me too, but never the one with her face. I love her little hat, and how happy she looks :)
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Irish Lassie 1 year ago
I’ll tell ya…HAPPYNESS IS THE BEST MEDICINE but TRUE LOVE tops them all ♥️
Sue Denham 1 year ago
This is so fabulous, but the best thing she's wearing? It's that great big smile.
RosaTheWitch 1 year ago (edited)
I'm also bedbound (M.E. and fibromyalgia), and I'm a solitary eclectic Pagan witch too - now I feel bad that I don't even have any new Hallowe'en pyjamas to wear for the occasion!
Artist Riva Lehrer, who reflects on living with disabilities in her memoir Golem Girl, once mentioned that it took her time to reach a point where she could enjoy Halloween as much as the people depicted in these pictures.
"I've never dressed up all that much for [it]," she wrote. "I remember once slathering myself in makeup and going as a Mary Kay saleswoman, and another time covering a leotard with several hundred Band-Aids and going as the self-destructive performance artist Chris Burden, infamous for crawling over broken glass and having himself shot with a gun."
"I see now that every costume dealt with the history of my body, whether I knew it or not. Covering myself with makeup, trying to feel female; covering myself with bandages, trying to wink at my wounds."
#3
Amputee Halloween Costumes Just Hit Different
SuperChicken 1 year ago
And the mercy seat is waiting. And I think my head is burning...
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#4
Brantley's First Halloween Costume Was A Success! He's The Perfect Carl
Shark Lady 1 year ago
Only thing missing is the grape soda bottle top pin. He makes an excellent Carl.
#5
"I Am Made Of Porcelain". Happy Halloween
Mabelbabel 1 year ago
Tilly is quite famous in the UK-she developed meningitis as a baby and had to have both arms amputated, as well as her toes (she has both legs). She used prosthetic arms provided by the NHS for a while, then volunteered to trial 3D printed arms from Open Bionics, and now she has a range of different arms with different colours and patterns that she calls her "army." She presents TV shows in the UK, has won talent and challenge shows, and she's still only 19.
Bronwyn 1 year ago
Thank you for sharing her story. Very inspiring young lady. I had not heard of her and am grateful to have learned so I can see more of her artistic endeavors.
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Ben Aziza 1 year ago
God dam this is great! Wait she could ALSO pull off Malenia from Elden ring! She has the perfect build for her! Even the wavy hair type All she has to do is dye it red! A bit of work is needed to add a layer on her prosthetics for the golden engravings and BAM Perfect Malenia.
Ps: F Malenia!!! Worst FromSoftware boss Since Orstein and Smoug. I am totally not saying that because of BIAS since I died over 50 times on them. Definitely not my bad for REFUSING to adapt my gameplay...Not at all! Yeh it is the devs fault!They are just badly designed that is it! rohland-de...49-png.jpg 
Then, in her thirties, Lehrer hit a wall.
"When friends asked, 'What are you dressing as this year?' I'd reply: 'I am a costume of the future! My task is to perfect the details of being me.'"
"It was a joke, but also a response to a lifetime of being stared at, for my curved spine, orthopedic boots, arrhythmic limp, being short — in short, all the things that made me unacceptable. I felt that no matter what I wore, viewers just subtracted the costume right off my body. What was the point of putting a monster over a monster?"
#6
Halloween We Are So Ready For You All. Briella Is Wearing The Adaptive Cinderella Costume With Adaptive Wheelchair Cover
Shark Lady 1 year ago
It's great that costume for those with disabilities are becoming more widespread..
Janissary35680 1 year ago
What's really great is that they're OWNING their "disabilities" and turning them into assets. And not just in Halloween costumes, either.
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Kat's messed up life 1 year ago
Where did you find that cover for the wheel chair that's really beautiful
#7
My Tree Nymph Halloween Costume From A Couple Of Years Ago, Complete With A Power Chair Transformed Into A Hollowed-Out Tree
#8
My Professor And His Friend As Forest Gump And Lt. Dan For Halloween
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 1 year ago
Cool costumes but not sure that he is actually wheelchair bound.The guy dressed as Lt. Dan appears to have his legs bent/folded underneath him, as you can see his feet in the back.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
Not every person in a wheelchair are amputees. There are a lot of people who need to use a wheelchair and they have all of their legs physically present. It could very well be that the "Lieutenant Dan" person had someone assist him in folding his legs back, as he could be paralyzed. Just because he isn't actually an amputee (like the character of Lieutenant Dan) doesn't mean he isn't actually wheelchair-bound.
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Leonard Hamers 1 year ago
Cool costume, but this guy is sitting on his knees (we see his feet :) ), no disabilities?
#9
First Halloween In A Wheelchair, And I Knew I Had To Dress As Madame Leota
Kali Chaos 1 year ago
So badass. And your friend looks gorgeous too, such poise. Happy Halloween!
Gémeaux jumeaux 1 year ago
Love the spirit! TIL about Leota Toombs (real name, c'mon!!) https://d23.com/walt-disney-legend/leota-toombs-thomas/
Lehrer said 'monster' because she felt like that was how she was treated. But writing Golem Girl allowed her to claim the 'monster' for herself.
In it, she traces the history of the legend of the Golem and how the concept of the artificially constructed creature has been woven into Western culture. That’s how she sees herself — as a rough body fashioned from clay, a being as much built as born.
#10
Weatherman Blake
#11
The Cutest Cowgirl In Town
#12
Happy Halloween
Kathy Kennedy 1 year ago
My husband just looked at me funny because I laugh/chirped at the second photo . Lovely family, great costume ideas
#13
I’m An Amputee. Here’s My Halloween Costume This Year. What Do You Think?
Leoninus Fate 1 year ago
there people so think see this and are like SO COOL, then there's me wondering what her disability was for 10 mins before it clicked and then I'm like " OH OH WOW!"
"Halloween is the time of monsters, of course," Lehrer said. "Creatures with damaged bodies, scarred faces, lumbering gaits, missing limbs; brutes that drool, emit miasmas, bleed, leak, manifest psychiatric conditions that put them beyond the pale of acceptable society. Frankenstein (a Golem); his Bride (a Golem); the Borg (a Golem, and so is Mr. Data); Dracula (infectious); the Wolfman (infectious); Darth Vader, Captain Hook (amputees); Freddy Krueger (facial disfigurement and mental illness) … I'll stop there. If I listed every disabled villain, I'd be here till I was not a Golem but a ghost."
#14
Frida-Inspired Halloween Costume
Gémeaux jumeaux 1 year ago
Perfecta. I can still hear Selma Hayek recounting Kahlo's father in the movie, "What do you want, Frrriida?"
RosaTheWitch 1 year ago
She was in a bus crash when she was 18, and broke her legs, spine, arm, ribs, and was completely impaled by a metal pole. She wasn't expected to live, but she did. She spent long periods flat on her bed, wearing a full-torso spinal brace. When she could go out, she sometimes needed to use a wheelchair. Towards the end of her life she had one of her legs amputated. She was in agony 24/7, and used opioids and abused alcohol to cope with the pain. She died in her 40s (I think), because of an overdose of opioids, but it's unknown if it was accidental, deliberate OD, or assisted deliberate OD. She was a fascinating woman, fiercely Communist, very sexual, had an affair with Trotsky, and of course, was a wonderful artist. Completely amazing!
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#15
Jeremy’s Costume This Year: The Halo Warthog! We Had To Build One On The Rig
robin aldrich 1 year ago
I'm not familiar with the actual thing you are talking about, but that's amazing engineering.
#16
Barbie World. How Did We Do?
SuperChicken 1 year ago (edited)
That big smile on that little girl is brighter than their costumes. She's so proud and I love it!💖
#17
Wheelchair Costumes
Mike F 1 year ago
Bette Midler did a mermaid in a powerchair years ago. "The question before us is WHERE'S her clitOris!" 😂
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It can be incredibly hard to leave the house if you feel like a monster and don't want to be seen. But in a way, Halloween levels the playing field—at least for one night—allowing everyone to embrace their individuality without fear of judgment. On this day, costumes become a way to celebrate differences rather than hide them, and who among us hasn’t felt like they were lacking that sense of belonging at some point?
#18
McDonald's Fries Are Always Better With Ketchup. Bros For Life
Agat 1 year ago
Yes, and the yellow hat on that little French fry is such a great touch! 😍
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Happy Halloween From Lieutenant Dan! We Ran Into Forest And Jenny Too
#20
Pee-Wee Herman And Chairy: First Trick-Or-Treat For This Sweet Boy In His Wheelchair
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
He was not. He was arrested for masturbating in a theater that was showing a pornographic film. Other than the public indecency charge (he should not have whipped it out in public), that's about the least "perverted" thing I've heard of a celebrity doing. Either way, Paul Reubens is dead.
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Brittania Kelli 1 year ago
I'm sorry but do you know this child or the family? Do you know if he has older siblings who want to include him or he likes to emulate? You don't even know his age or condition so spare your completely unnecessary judgement or save it for people actually doing horrible things. Like Peewee he's a rebel.
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Was A Good Halloween
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
I don't get this one. Who is the little boy supposed to be?
#22
Halloween Couples Costumes Is Kicking Off This Year With Maddy & Jacob’s Hot Dog Stand
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago
Oh my!!! Better be careful reaching in for a "hot dog"!! Hilarious and suggestive! ;)
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I've never been able to find a hotdog costume that's large enough for either of my dogs (65-lb Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd-Kuchi Dog mix) XD I had to be content with dressing my old gray kitty as a hotdog many years ago, in a small-dog costume XD Luckily she loved wearing clothes/costumes! wintressia...d84751.jpg 
#23
Happy Halloween! Yes, I Made The Leg Myself
#24
Halloween 2023 Was One For The (Leather-Bound) Books. We Hope You Enjoyed Our Costumes
SuperChicken 1 year ago
They’ve done studies, you know. 60% of the time, it works every time.
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LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
There's this placard right on the desk - he's Ron Burgundy! (I'll explain further: Ron Burgundy is a character from a movie.)
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From A Bride In Her Coffin To Sitting On The Iron Throne, We Love How People Take Advantage Of Their Wheelchairs And Incorporate Them Into Their Costumes
BeesEelsAndPups 1 year ago
Is that the pony one or the coffin one? Because the pony is my favorite too, if it is.
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#26
Halloween Was Made A Lot Sweeter For These Kids, Thanks To The Team At Shriners Children's Salt Lake City And The Wheelchair Costume Clinic
Donna Williams 1 year ago
Just knowing there's a Wheelchair Costume Clinic makes me have faith in humanity again
robin aldrich 1 year ago
I didn't know that one of the many things they did for kids. That's awesome.
#27
"Toss A Coin To Your Witcher"
#28
Four Events With This Awesome Halloween Costume
#29
Happy Halloween From ET, Elliot, And Gertie. What Are You Dressing Up As This Year?
#30
Taking Reservations For Your Next Corporate Event, Holiday Party, Or Food Truck Festival - You Name It! Maddux Has You Covered For All Things Burgers, Fries And Shakes
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I wonder if Maddux is a Southern California native, since he's rockin' an In-n-Out delivery truck! XD (I know In-n-Out has franchises in other states now, but it was born in SoCal!)
#31
Blake’s Halloween Costume This Year
#32
Happy Halloween From Our Little Meatball
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed.
cerinamroth 1 year ago
Rolled off the table then onto the floor, and then my poor meatball rolled out of the door.
Load More Replies... amykennedy07@yahoo.com 1 year ago
It rolled through the garden and into a bush and oh my poor meatball was know only mush.
#33
The Cutest Bowl Of Mac And Cheese I’ve Ever Seen
#34
Happy Halloween From Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding, And Our Very Own Star Baker
#35
"I Wanna Rock… Rock"
#36
First Outing Of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band And The Yellow Submarine
#37
Another Successful Halloween! Not A Funny Costume This Year, I Was Limited For Time, But I Think This Turned Out Well
#38
My Son As An Ohio State Football Player
#39
"You’ll Always Have Me, And I’ll Always Have You". Elsa And Olaf Have Always Been Besties
#40
Halloween Was So Much Fun This Year! I'm Glad We Got To Spend It With Great Friends
#41
So This Year's Halloween Theme Was Moana And I Was Te Fiti
#42
Happy Halloween From Our Little Bookworm
#43
Pirate Costume With A Paw, Stick, And All The Details (Though Only For The Photo, Since I Couldn’t Actually Walk Like That). What Do You Think Of The Costume?
#44
It’s All A Bunch Of Hocus Pocus! We Had A Blast As A Family At This Year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
#45
Presenting Harry Potter And Buckbeak. She Looks Pretty Fantastic, I Must Say. Even Hermione And Dumbledore Showed Up To Take A Few Pictures
#46
Sometimes Angel, Sometimes Demon, But Always Me
#47
I Turned My Son’s Wheelchair Into An AT-ST Walker For Our Trip To Disney. It Is Going To Be Absolutely His Halloween Costume
#48
Did My First Official Troop In The Wheelchair Clone Trooper Armor Today! The Modifications Went Well. I'm Going To Make A Few Small Adjustments, But Overall I'm Pretty Happy With It
#49
Trunk Or Treat: Aladdin And Prince Ali
SageHare37 1 year ago
At some places in the US, they practice "trunk or treat". Basically they close off a parking lot after the hosting cars pull in, hosting cars open their trunks (often people decorate the backs of their cars and wear costumes) and children trick or treat car to car. Because the parking lot is closed off, there's no traffic so it's safe and on a paved lot it's very friendly to the mobility impaired. It's also becoming more popular in rural areas for families that want to participate in trick or treating in places where the houses are far apart, or houses where a parade of strangers would be an issue (reactive dogs, farms with equipment around or livestock). Our local community center uses their parking lot for this every year, as houses here can be a long way between with long gravel driveways. I grew up in a rural area, and the hike between houses meant very little candy for hours of trick or treating. While house to house is very fun, trunk or treat is a great alternative.
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#50
Happy Halloween
#51
Wheelchair Costume Ideas. Can You Guess What I Am Going To Be This Year?
#52
Caroline Is Looking Extra Magical Riding On Her Magic-Carpet Wheelchair
#54
Alyssa Wanted To Be A Unicorn Princess, And We Believe Our Perfect Team Of Fairy Godmothers Made Her Dream Come True
#55
The Most Magical Hogwarts Express At The Celebration Of Harry Potter Today
#56
I'm In Love With My Costume This Year! I Absolutely Love The Film "A League Of Their Own", And I'm So Pleased With How This Rockford Peach Uniform Turned Out
I normally do a very minimal costume with a more elaborate face painting or special effect makeup, but this year I decided to switch things around.
#58
Look At This Taylor's Adorable Costume. This Is Such A Great Idea For A Dora Superfan
#59
Did It Again! Moana And Vampirina For The Win
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
These two beautiful girls are twins and were both born with a rare mutation in their HECW2 gene. It led to severe disabilities. Unfortunately the condition was progressive, and Bailey Grace died in July 2019 (aged 6) and her sister Ally died in December 2020 (aged 7.) But if you go and look at their Instagram (linked under the image) you can see that in the photos and videos of them taken during their short lives, their smiles were genuine and their eyes were filled with love and joy. I am so heartbroken for their mom who lost both of her girls so young, but I know she gave them their best lives and they were obviously happy girls despite their disabilities. Their parents adopted a boy from China in 2019, before either of her daughters had died, and he turned 13 this year. He too is clearly being raised well and with love. I may not agree with mom's very devout Christian faith, but she is clearly a wonderful, loving mom who had to go through what I imagine is the worst of all pain.
#61
It's Spooky Season. I Made The Pumpkin Wheels
#62
Halloween Parade, 2020
#63
This Year, Michael’s Paralyzed. I Love It Because I’m Going About My Normal Daily Activities Wearing My Outfit. I Love The Reactions
#64
When Work Called Me To Scranton For A Halloween Open House, I Wasn't About To Miss This Perfect Costume Opportunity
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I'm going to guess "The Office" because of her Dunder Mifflin ID tag. I've never seen a single episode of the show, but I've seen so many memes that I know the characters XD
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Add New Image
What do you think ?
Rae Reyn 1 year ago
I do a haunted Carnival themed yard haunt every year and there is a kid in a wheel chair who comes through, always an awesome costume, but now he's a teenager. So he shows up as I'm setting up dressed as Pennywise under the sewer grate. Helped me pass out candy. Love that kid.
GrowingThruConcrete 1 year ago
Tell him we think his costume idea was BA!
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Auntriarch 1 year ago
I love the creativity of these, I grew up in a time when disability was hidden away, this cheers my soul
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
This woman appeared online a few years ago. Utterly brilliant. adventure-...76511f.jpg 
Candi Cabaniss 1 year ago
I hope this plug for a charity is okay. The Magic Wheelchair makes cosplay wheelchairs for children. Makers donate their time, but the materials can be expensive. It is non profit so it is tax deductible. I heard about I previously but a maker channel I watch showed painting a 3d printed Dalek chair. The thing was shipped to him, then he was shipping that back.
CrazyKnitter 1 year ago
All of these were fantastic, creative and inspirational. I love people's creativity and drive to have fun no matter what. That's why Halloween is my favorite holiday
Rae Reyn 1 year ago
I do a haunted Carnival themed yard haunt every year and there is a kid in a wheel chair who comes through, always an awesome costume, but now he's a teenager. So he shows up as I'm setting up dressed as Pennywise under the sewer grate. Helped me pass out candy. Love that kid.
GrowingThruConcrete 1 year ago
Tell him we think his costume idea was BA!
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 1 year ago
I love the creativity of these, I grew up in a time when disability was hidden away, this cheers my soul
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
This woman appeared online a few years ago. Utterly brilliant. adventure-...76511f.jpg
Candi Cabaniss 1 year ago
I hope this plug for a charity is okay. The Magic Wheelchair makes cosplay wheelchairs for children. Makers donate their time, but the materials can be expensive. It is non profit so it is tax deductible. I heard about I previously but a maker channel I watch showed painting a 3d printed Dalek chair. The thing was shipped to him, then he was shipping that back.
CrazyKnitter 1 year ago
All of these were fantastic, creative and inspirational. I love people's creativity and drive to have fun no matter what. That's why Halloween is my favorite holiday
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