Shoppability in Clinton

Explore AccessNow to find accessible spots in Clinton and their features!

Southwestern Ontario's Most Accessible Downtown

Welcome to downtown Clinton! On this page, you can find accessibility information about business entrances, parking, washrooms, and navigating our downtown. Have questions or suggestions? Contact Angela Smith at cic@centralhuron.com.

A heritage downtown may present accessibility challenges, but Clinton has been working hard to implement accessibility improvements for several years now. Each change marks a step towards a more accessible downtown where everyone can feel welcome. Scroll to the bottom of this page to learn about Clinton’s commitment to accessibility through the Shoppability Project.

Thank you to Huron County’s Supporting Local Economic Fund for aiding in these projects in order to have an inclusive impactic to all local businesses

Business Entrances

Automatic Door Openers

Clinton continues to seek funding to provide each business with automatic door openers. To date, automatic door openers can be found at the following businesses:

An automatic door opener button next to a flowering planter outside Of Rack and Room. Clinton's main intersection is visible in the background.

Ramps

15 businesses whose entrances have steps received StopGap Foundation ramps. These ramps are custom-fit for each storefront and are portable, meaning they are typically stored inside when not in use. If you require assistance entering one of the following businesses, please ask staff to set up the ramp. Many stores have doorbells and we encourage you to ring them if the ramp isn’t out when you arrive.

The owner of Clinton Cannabis stands outside his storefront next to a new ramp with his hands on his hips. Down the block behind him, ramps are visible at three other storefronts.

Other Improvements

  • Grab bars: these simple improvements make a world of difference for people who need a little extra support to get up steps. Take note of the grab bars and railings that have been installed at businesses that have steps throughout downtown.

  • Doorbells: if you need help entering a business, we invite you to ring the doorbells installed outside to request assistance with dignity. The doorbells are also a great way to request a portable ramp to be brought out.

  • Contrast paint: in 2022, yellow strips of paint were added to the steps of business entrances throughout downtown. The paint indicates the location of stairs, allowing people with visual impairments to more easily identify changes in elevation and to enter stores safely.

  • Chairs: in 2022, every downtown business was provided with a chair to place outside of their storefront. Previously, we received comments highlighting the lack of seating downtown. These chairs allow people to rest for a few minutes as they are shopping or walking, which everyone can benefit from.

A closeup of a vertical grab bar next to a yellow door.
Outside of a business, a white doorbell with a blue accessibility sticker beneath it reading "Press for Assistance."
A brown chair in front of the brick wall of a storefront. There are blooming flowers on both sides of the chair.

Navigating Main Street

Pedestrian Crossings

Clinton has 3 pedestrian crossings equipped with flashing lights to allow for safe crossing throughout downtown. The buttons beep regularly to help people with visual impairments locate them. When the button is pressed, the crossing lights will flash and a voice will indicate that pedestrians can cross. Here are their locations:

  • South of the Albert St and Park Ln intersection

  • North of the Albert St and Rattenbury St intersection

  • South of the Victoria St and Mary St intersection

The main intersection (Hwy 4 and Hwy 8) also has traffic lights and regular crosswalks.

A “Stop for Pedestrians” sign with flashing lights on top, looking north on Victoria Street in Clinton.

Blade Signs

Clinton’s downtown businesses each have a blade sign that indicates what the business sells or provides. These signs are positioned so pedestrians and drivers are able to tell what can be found and where before they even travel down the street.

For more information about what businesses and services can be found in our area, visit our business directory.

Looking south on Albert Street in Clinton, two black and brown blade signs are hanging above the stores. One says "Mennonite Furniture" and one says "Pizza."

Parking

Parking Locations

Parking lots can be found here and at other locations throughout town:

  • In front of New Orleans Pizza (28 Huron St)

  • West of Dollarama (23 Huron St)

  • West of Clinton Sporting Goods (10 Huron St)

  • East and West of Millennium Park

  • Behind Town Hall and the Library (23 Albert St)

  • South of K&J Pharmacy (21 Victoria St)

  • Community Park & Splash Pad (95 Park Ln)

Street parking downtown can be found on Albert St, Rattenbury St, Victoria St, King St, and Huron St.

A green parking sign at the Millennium Park parking lot. A blue truck and a white vehicle are parked in the background.

Accessible Parking Spots

Unfortunately, Albert Street is too narrow to allow for the safe exiting of vehicles for some people with mobility aids, so there are no accessible parking spots directly located on main street. However, the side streets are less traffic-heavy and have parking. We recommend Rattenbury Street East and West, which have marked accessible spots near mountable curbs and are safer for traffic and pedestrians exiting vehicles. View the library parking spot below.

A freshly painted accessible parking spot located on Rattenbury Street East. The library is visible in the background.

Accessible Washrooms

Clinton Community Park (95 Park Lane)

Hours: 9am to 7pm

May 1 - September 30

The exterior of the poolhouse. There are two washroom doors and a ramp leading up to the building.
Interior of the park washrooms: toilet, toilet paper dispenser, automatic door button, lock button, emergency button, grab bars.

Library (27 Albert Street)

Hours: check the library’s hours.

Exterior of the back of the library. A ramp leads up to the entrance.
Interior of the library washroom: toilet, toilet paper dispenser, automatic door button, lock button, emergency button, grab bars.

The Shoppability Project

The Shoppability Project is Clinton’s ongoing effort to make downtown more accessible to all. The project began in 2020 with the installation of automatic door openers at twelve downtown businesses. In 2021, the project provided blade signs to businesses to help pedestrians and vehicles navigate. In 2022, a third project phase included installing wheelchair-level doorbells, adding contrast paint to steps, providing chairs to each downtown business, and installing three additional automatic door openers. The project has been recognized with awards at both local and provincial levels. We believe an accessible downtown benefits everyone… not just people with disabilities!

Sponsors throughout the project’s phases have included Huron County’s Supporting Local Economic Development (SLED) program, Community Futures Huron, the Municipality of Central Huron, Corrie’s Foodland, and Regional Tourism Organization 4 (RTO4), who distributes funding from FedDev Ontario. We continue to seek funding opportunities to continue this important work. Contact Angela Smith at cic@centralhuron.com.

Awards & Recognition

  • 2023: Inclusive Community-Based Initiative Award from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario

  • 2021: Huron County Accessibility Award

List Your Business on AccessNow

AccessNow is an app that allows people with disabilities to find information about businesses. People can use it like Google Maps and filter out businesses based on accessibility features. This means that if you register your business and list its accessibility features, people with disabilities are more likely to find and shop at your business. We encourage all business owners to claim your verified business listing and get on the map by visiting https://accessnow.com/verifiedinquiry/. You can learn more about AccessNow for Businesses here or watch a great video about the app here.

Screenshot of a webpage on AccessNow's website.
Image of someone using the AccessNow app. A map is visible with red, yellow, and green icons indicating the level of accessibility of various locations.