From our pleasant, numerous neighborhoods to our snug year-round local weather and countless choices to chill out and rejuvenate, San Diego welcomes guests with open arms. And that emphatically contains our associates with particular wants.
San Diego’s world-class sights and different customer favorites across the metropolis supply quite a few help packages and adaptive applied sciences for these with disabilities.
That focus to accessibility helps clarify why the San Diego area is now house to a pair of sights which might be among the many first on the West Coast to be designated as Licensed Autism Facilities: Sesame Place San Diego (operated by SeaWorld Parks & Leisure) and LEGOLAND California.
It additionally helps exhibit why San Diego is the house of the Challenged Athletes Basis, which offers adaptive sports activities tools and alternatives nationwide; and why the town additionally has birthed such ventures as Entry Trax, which is dedicated to ADA-compliant seaside entry for individuals who use wheelchairs and different mobility gadgets.
Right here’s a have a look at a number of the disability-access packages and companies provided round San Diego:
Entry Trax
San Diego startup, Entry Trax, offers light-weight, transportable mats to ease seaside entry. The corporate rents and sells the mats — billed as “the one transportable, foldable pathway for accessibility over out of doors terrain” — to households, occasions and governments in 15 international locations.
Seashore Wheelchairs
For vacationers with mobility challenges who’re desperate to hit San Diego’s famed seashores, the area presents quite a few choices for reserving specialised seaside wheelchairs. And a number of other space seashores even have put in mats to supply simpler entry to the sand. Be taught all in regards to the choices right here.
Sesame Place San Diego
This splashy new attraction — the one “Sesame Avenue”-themed park on the West Coast — combines all of the family-friendly enjoyable of the TV present with a powerful assortment of zippy rides and water slides. As a Licensed Autism Middle, Sesame Place additionally presents a variety of lodging for these on the autism spectrum, together with workers who’re skilled in sensory consciousness, social expertise and different areas; trip accessibility; two quiet rooms; and a downloadable sensory information to the park for pre-trip preparation. As well as, younger guests might get an opportunity to fulfill 4-year-old Julia, a vibrant and pleasant “Sesame Avenue” character who has autism.
LEGOLAND California
Like all LEGOLAND parks in North America now, LEGOLAND California is a Licensed Autism Middle. This implies the workers has acquired specialised coaching and there are sensory guides at every trip and low-sensory areas and quiet rooms, amongst different accessible options. LEGOLAND presents quite a few different lodging for its guests with disabilities, together with mobility challenges. Uncover the complete vary of accessibility choices and obtain a sensory information on the attraction’s web site.
San Diego Zoo
The world-renowned zoo’s Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, which opened in 2022, is a blinding 3.2-acre journey zone constructed on the location of the previous Youngsters’s Zoo and providing a wonderland of accessible wildlife encounters, play areas and hands-on studying alternatives. And the whole zoo is a KultureCity Licensed Sensory Inclusive Location, denoting skilled workers and volunteers plus the supply of “sensory baggage” (which include calming objects), quiet areas and different lodging for these with particular wants. An in depth “social story” can also be obtainable for pre-visit familiarization. These choices complement the excellent disability-access companies described within the zoo’s Accessibility Information.
SeaWorld San Diego
This venerable San Diego theme park and wildlife group is about to open its newest thrill trip: The Arctic Rescue coaster. SeaWorld’s companies for guests with disabilities embrace a Particular Entry Program for these whose situations make it troublesome to attend in line for such experiences because the park’s quite a few rides, which cater to everybody from younger youngsters to adventure-minded grown-ups. This system is simply a part of an intensive suite of lodging detailed within the SeaWorld Park Accessibility Information.
San Diego Padres
With the Main League Baseball season now in full swing, the Padres — who practically made it to the World Collection in 2022 and have one other robust crew this 12 months — supply a full lineup of accessibility companies at Petco Park, the crew’s inviting waterfront house. Just like the San Diego Zoo, the Padres have partnered with the nonprofit KultureCity. Among the many membership’s lodging are sensory baggage that embrace noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys and different objects (verify the information for info on the place to seek out them), plus a Sensory Map and Sensory Story for pregame familiarization.
Extra Data on Accessible Journey
The SDTA offers a number of sources geared towards guests with disabilities. Take a look at this roundup of further lodging and companies round San Diego. And comfortable travels!