Accessibility Statement

The Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) is a not-for-profit contemporary art gallery and education centre located in Bowmanville, Ontario—situated on the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and the traditional territories of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, the signatory communities of the Williams Treaties, and other members of the broader Indigenous and Métis community. 

We curate rotating exhibitions and education programs prioritizing artistic production outside of the province’s core metropolitan centres—predominately through new commissions by emerging and mid-career Canadian artists in our gallery spaces and technical training programs in our teaching studios. Our programming aims to be inclusive and interdisciplinary, encouraging connection, collaboration and engagement with diverse communities representing varied histories, experiences, and perspectives.


Admission to the VAC is free. Donations are appreciated.

Accessing the Building:

The VAC is a four-storey building housed inside a historical heritage site. These limitations mean that we are not barrier-free. However, we are actively working with our facility partners to plan and secure capital projects that will better suit our community’s needs and minimize barriers. 

The VAC welcomes visitors with service animals. Support persons who accompany visitors are also welcome. Support persons will not be charged special tour or program fees where applicable.

Entrance Notes:

The entrance to the gallery can be accessed either by ramp (left side of the main entrance) or by steps (right side of the main entrance). Please note that the front walkway is constructed using interlocking paver stones. 

  • The entrance door is an outward-opening heavy pull door, with a lever-style handle at a height of 104 cm (3.4 ft). From the inside, the door features a push/  crash bar at 102 cm (3.3 ft). There is no automatic door opener.

  • The entrance doorway width is a minimum of 80 cm (2.6 ft) and a maximum width of 160 cm (5.2 ft). A raised concrete transition strip is at the entrance doorway's base.

  • There is an additional set of glass double doors that remain open during gallery hours, with a width of 152 cm (2 ft). 

  • The main office has a Dutch door, including a small shelf at a height of 105 cm (3.4 ft). 


Please call the gallery if you require assistance with the building entranceways, and a staff member will be happy to assist you. Our main office phone number is (905) 623-5831.

Washrooms:

The VAC has three gender-inclusive bathrooms. All washroom facilities are located on the gallery’s main floor. The width of the hallway entry is 97 cm (3.2 ft).

  • The first washroom includes two stalls with rotating latch knobs that lock the stall doors. The bathroom door is a heavy push door with a lever-style door handle at 103 cm (3.4 ft), with a width of 78 cm (2.5 ft). The sink height is at 80 cm (2.6 ft), while the toilet height is at 42 cm (1.4 ft). 

  • The second washroom includes a private stall with a rotating latch knob and a urinal. The bathroom door is a heavy push door with a lever-style door handle at 103 cm (3.4 ft), with a width of 78 cm (2.5 ft). The sink height is at 80 cm (2.6 ft), the toilet height is at 42 cm (1.4 ft), and the urinal height is at 47 cm (1.5 ft). 

  • The final bathroom is a larger private washroom constructed with enough space for visitors using mobility devices. The bathroom door is a heavy push door with a lever-style door handle at 103 cm (3.4 ft), with a width of 89 cm (2.9 ft) that locks from the inside with a push-button lock mechanism. The bathroom does not have an automatic door opener or electronic locking and alarm systems. The sink height is at 80 cm (2.6 ft), while the toilet height is at 46 cm (1.5 ft). Horizontal and vertical grab bars are installed on the rear wall and side wall surrounding the toilet.

  • The VAC supplies all washrooms with complimentary sanitary napkins, tampons, and menstruation products. 

  • A plastic step stool is available to use in the washrooms.

The VAC washrooms are not equipped with changing tables or sharp bins. The nearest fully accessible public washroom equipped with an extended-length changing station and sharp bin is available at the Clarington Library, Museums & Archives Bowmanville Branch (163 Church Street, Bowmanville, Ontario).

Engaging with the Galleries:

There is a ramp to enter the Small Gallery located on the main floor. The width of the Small Gallery doorway is 105 cm (3.4 ft). 


Captions, Transcripts, and Notes for Visitors with Sensory Impairments

We are working to integrate visual descriptions into our gallery programmes. Closed captions or transcriptions for video/audio installations are available upon request. Please contact us at least two weeks in advance if you require Real-Time captioning for our live virtual programmes. 

The main floor galleries have adjustable lighting on dimmer switches. Please contact our office staff to inquire whether the light levels can be adjusted during your visit if needed. Visitors will be advised upon entrance if an exhibition contains flashing lights or video-based artworks that may impact photosensitive viewers. 

All signage for bathroom entrances and stairwell doors are marked using Braille signage. Please contact our main office staff if you have any other questions regarding gallery navigation. We are happy to assist where we can. 


Seating

Gallery seating options may vary between each exhibition. They include: 

  • Short black cushioned metal reinforced benches with no back support. 

  • Grey fabric and metal reinforced chairs at varying widths and weight capacity with backing support.

  • Grey fabric bean bag chairs. 

Please contact our main office staff if you find that gallery seating is insufficient during your visit. Additional temporary seating with back supports is available upon request. 


Accessing the Loft Gallery

The VAC does not have elevator access. The basement and upper floors are accessible using various stairwells. The Loft Gallery is located on the VAC’s third floor. It can be accessed using the stairwell through the south-eastern door in the Main Gallery. The push door features a twist-style door knob at a height of 105 cm (3.4 ft) and width of 89 cm (2.9 ft). The Loft Gallery has restricted access by four flights of stairs equipped with a handrail. The final flight of stairs narrows to a width of 97 cm (3.2 ft). 


Fragrance 

We are not a fully fragrance-free space at this time. All soaps, hand sanitizers, and cleaning products are low-fragrance. Visitors and staff are discouraged from wearing perfumes and scents.

Engaging with the Studios:

Accessing the Drawing and Painting Studio:

The Drawing and Painting Studio is located on the second floor and can be accessed by the stairwell through the door near the Main Gallery’s south-eastern wall. The push door features a twist-style door knob at a height of 105 cm (3.4 ft) and width of 89 cm (2.9 ft). The stairs leading up to the second floor are equipped with a handrail. 


Accessing the Pottery Studio: 

The Pottery Studio is located on the lower basement floor and can be accessed via two stairwells. The first stairwell can be accessed through the door near the Main Gallery’s south-eastern wall. The push door features a twist-style door knob at a height of 105 cm (3.4 ft) and width of 89 cm (2.9 ft).  A second pull door features a twist-style door knob at a height of 105 cm (3.4 ft) and width of 89 cm (2.9 ft). Please note that due to the building’s original construction, these stairs are slightly steeper than standard stairs. Both stairwells leading down to the lower floor are equipped with a handrail.

The second stairwell is at the end of the bathroom hallway to the west. Visitors can enter this stairwell through a heavy push door with a push/crash bar at a height of 103 cm (3.4 ft) and a width of 89 cm (2.9 ft). At the bottom of the stairs, there is a push door with a twist-style door knob at a height of 105 cm (3.4ft) and a width of 89 cm (2.9 ft) that leads through a 145 cm (4.75 ft) wide hallway. The Pottery Studio is through a final push door with a push/crash bar at a height of 103 cm (3.4 ft) and width of 89 cm (2.9 ft). Please note that there is a 24 cm (9.4 in.) step-down into the Pottery Studio.

Engaging with the Offices:

The VAC has two dedicated workspaces for staff, board members, and volunteers located on the main floor. These offices include staff desks 74 cm (2.4 ft) in height and adjustable office chairs with wheels. Visitors are welcome to engage with staff at the openings of these two office spaces if you need assistance or have any questions during your visit.

Transit and Parking:

By Bus:

From GO Union Bus / Train Terminal, take the Lakeshore East train to Oshawa GO station. Outside the GO Station, take Durham Region Transit Bus 902 eastbound towards Prince Street, Bowmanville. Exit at Prince Street/ Simpson Avenue. Head southbound on Simpson Avenue for 700 metres until you reach the driveway entrance for Soper Creek Park and the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (red-brick building). 

By Car: 

Take Highway 401 to Liberty Street (exit 432), follow the exit to Liberty Street and take a right turn onto Baseline Road. In 200 metres, turn left onto Simpson Avenue, head north and watch for the Soper Creek Park and the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington driveway. Turn right into the driveway located along the curved bend on Simpson Avenue to access our visitor parking. 

Parking: 

The VAC has free parking available for visitors along the building’s front side, including one accessible parking space located to the left of the gallery’s main entrance.

Service Disruptions and Program Cancellations:

Temporary disruptions and program cancellation notices are posted on our website home page, social media feeds, digital newsletter, and web calendar. Please review our Cancellation Policy for more details.

Digital Accessibility:

The VAC follows follows the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. We work to ensure all pages on our website meet WCAG 2.0 standards or higher. If any part of our website is not compliant with the standardized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, please contact our Communications team via email at communications@vac.ca.

Additional Requests & Feedback:

Our efforts to create an optimally accessible experience for visitors are ongoing. If you have specific concerns, would like to provide feedback, or find out more information about our accessibility,  please contact our Communications team via email at communications@vac.ca or by phone at (905) 623-5831 ext. 1.  We will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate your needs.