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Welcome to San Diego, CSUN 2012 Attendees!

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Accessible San Diego is pleased to provide a guide to San Diego, with the CSUN attendees in mind, so you will have a great accessible time in San Diego. Please feel free to contact Accessible San Diego, as well as other local resources listed below for further information.

This year, look for SPECIALS from the USS Midway Museum, San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld to make your San Diego experience the best one!

Things to do in San Diego

Whether you have a few hours of free time or extending your stay, there is something for everyone to make the best of your San Diego experience! Please refer to Activity Calendar for featured attractions.

  • Seaport VillageSeaport Village and Embarcadero Park

    Adjacent to Manchester Grand Hyatt, enjoy the 3-mile waterfront walk through Seaport Village and embarcadero Park. You will find plenty of outdoor fun, shopping & dining

    By popular demand, from last year’s CSUN attendees, we have arranged volunteers during the Conference to show you around the Seaport Village, courtesy of the Port of San Diego! For schedule, check Activity Calendar or come to Accessible San Diego booth across from the Conference Registration during the Exhibit Hall hours and sign up.

  • USS MidwayUSS Midway Museum:

    USS Midway Museum is a floating aircraft carrier museum. Elevators available throughout the ship; audio tours and flight simulator available – try the Family Audio Tour, which promises to be fun and educational for everyone.

    CSUN Specials
    • 2-for-1 for guests with disabilities and their companion
    • *SPECIAL! $13 Museum admission for CSUN attendees, Feb 27-March 3, Show your conference badge.
    • *SPECIAL! American Sign Language guided museum tour on Saturday 3/3, $10 incl. museum admission!
    • *Ask if you can see the replica of the Midway!
    Location

    910 North Harbor Dr. San Diego, CA 92101 (Bus #992)

    Phone: 619-544-9600

    Call for reservation: 619-398-8264 or visitorinfo@midway.org

  • Panda in San Diego ZooSan Diego Zoo

    CSUN Specials
    • 2-for-1 for guests with disabilities and their companion
    • Available upon request: Braille Accessibility Guide, Easy Access Pass
    • *SPECIAL! On the weekend of March 3-4th, San Diego Zoo has lined up with a variety of sensory tours and American Sign Language interpreted shows. Please refer to the schedule.

    *Some tours require advanced reservation and additional cost to the Zoo admission.

    Location

    2920 Zoo Dr. San Diego, CA 92101 (Bus #7)

    Phone: 619-231-1515,

    Please contact Mia for more info & reservation.
    619-718-3054 or msitz@sandiegozoo.org

  • Dolphin jumping out of water at SeaWorldSeaWorld San Diego

    Enjoy Shamu, sea lion, and new dolphin shows! They are fun even without being able to see everything! If you’re brave enough, place yourself in the “wet zone” at your own risk!

    CSUN Specials
    • *All shows with American Sign Language interpretation on Saturdays!
    • 2-for-1 for guests with disabilities and their companion
    Location

    500 Sea World Dr. San Diego, CA 92109 (Bus #8/9)

    Phone: 1-800 25-SHAMU (1-800 257-4268)

    *Ask any SeaWorld Team Members if you need assistance.

  • Hornblower Cruises

    CSUN Specials
    • 2-for-1 for guests with disabilities and their companion (Harbor cruise only)
      San Diego harbor cruise, dinner cruises and events
    Location

    1066 North Harbor Dr.

    San Diego, CA 92101 (Bus #992, #923)

    Phone: 619-686-8700

  • Old Town Trolley Tours / Seal Tour

    See the best of San Diego! Knowledgeable guide will describe major sites of San Diego and Coronado. For pick-up locations and ticket info, call or visit website.

    CSUN Specials
    • 2-for-1 for guests with disabilities and their companion

    Phone: 619-298-8687

  • Balboa ParkBalboa Park

    Balboa Park is a large park in the middle of downtown/Hillcrest. There are many museums and gardens with hands-on exhibits. You can also enjoy the whole park on free Balboa Park Trolley. For more info, call or walk in and talk to friendly Visitor Center staff. Here are some suggestions for you!

    • Balboa Park self guided audio tour – learn the history and fun facts, $5 to rent equipment
    • Ruben H Fleet Science Center 619-238-1233 – Many hands-on exhibits to feel and experiment.
    Location

    1549 El Prado – Houses of Hospitality (Visitor Center) (Bus #7)

    Info Line: 619-239-0512,

Shopping, Dining & Nightlife

  • Gaslamp Quarter Historic Heart of San DiegoGaslamp Quarter

    One-stop trolley ride or short walk from the Hyatt, Gaslamp Quarter offers tons of shops, restaurants and clubs along the 5th Avenue.

  • Horton Plaza

    324 Horton Plaza (Downtown San Diego)

    San Diego, CA 92101,

  • Fashion Valley Mall

    7007 Friars Rd. San Diego, CA 92108

Transportation

San Diego trolley

  • Shuttle –

    Whether you arrive at San Diego Airport, Amtrak station, or Greyhound station, there is a shuttle to take you to the Manchester Grand Hyatt or to the hotel of your choice.

  • Accessible Van Rental

  • Paratransit – MTS Access –

    Certification:
    1-877-232-7433, www.adaride.com

    Reservation:
    1-888-517-9627

  • Public Transportation –

    Orange Line trolley stops in front of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, which takes you to Gaslamp Quarter and the Horton Plaza. Contact San Diego MTS for the complete bus and trolley routs and services.

    San Diego MTS (Public transit) –

    Phone: 511 or 619-233-3004

    Website: www.sdmts.com

    Facebook: facebook.com/sdmts

    Twitter: twitter.com/sdmts

    • All buses and trolleys are wheelchair accessible.
    • Service dog welcome!
    • NO DISCOUNT for attendants.
    • Ask the driver to call out your stop when you board a bus.
    • If you are blind or visually impaired, stand on the pad with bumps located towards the front of the trolley station.
    • When the trolley stops, press the button located near or on the door.
    • There is a ticket vending machine at every trolley station with audio guide similar to ATM machine.
    • If you are taking public transportation often, we recommend a Day Pass or 3-day Pass, which gives you unlimited use of both bus and trolley. Day Passes can be purchased from the ticket vending machine or from a bus driver or at the Transit Store on the corner of First Avenue and Broadway.

Download Activity Calendar and Trolley Signup

San Diego Activity Calendar for CSUN Conference Attendees
CSUN Old Town Trolley Transportation Signup

Related Posts

Image Credit

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Franks Daily Doodle: Us and Them

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Frank is a Partially Sighted artist on the Spectrum and slowly losing his vision to a disease of the Retina. ‘The Doodle shall Prevail’ he screams…..

Us and Them by Frank Allen

Us and Them by Frank Allen

Continue reading Franks Daily Doodle: Us and Them

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Disability News: Bullying at the North Pole

Sunday, December 25th, 2011

The next installment of Yahoo’s bi-monthly Disability News roundup will be published Jan. 22. Happy holidays to all!

Was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer bullied?

George Giuliani, a special ed professor at Long Island University in New York, has some issues with a classic Christmas cartoon. “The whole community of the North Pole is into exclusion, not inclusion,” says Giuliani of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” a 1964 television special that finds its way back onto the airwaves each December. “The message to disabled children is we will not accept you as you are, but only if you can do something extraordinary,” he said. If your family is watching Charlie Brown, the Grinch, or, yes, Rudolph this season, here’s some advice from Herbert Nieburg, a Connecticut psychologist and bullying expert: “Parents should have a conversation with their kids … the main one being about difference. How do we work with people who are different? It’s not just having a red nose, it’s being gay, smart, athletic. Parents should talk constantly with kids about how we treat other people.”

Santa and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Santa Claus and Rudolph puppets from the TV special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." (AP photo/Paul Vernon)

Broadway strikes an autism-friendly chord

A unique performance of Broadway musical “The Lion King,” based on the Disney film by the same name, incorporated production changes aimed at making the theater-going experience more accessible for people on the autism spectrum. Adjustments to the show included “bringing down the sound of a steam blast, lowering the music at points, and eliminating strobe lights,” said Lisa Carling, director of the Theatre Development Fund’s Accessibility Programs. The sensory sensitivities some autistic people have can turn large crowds, bright lights and loud sounds into big stressors, making theater attendance difficult. The Associated Press reports: “According to organizers, the performance in the 1,600-seat theater had quickly sold out (with another 1,000 families on a waiting list for tickets), pointing to a real need for accessible theater for the autism-spectrum community.” TDF plans to mount another autism-friendly show in 2012.

A performance of "The Lion King."

A production of "The Lion King" in Las Vegas. (AP photo/Darrin Bush).

The touchscreen that lets you feel textures

The Week reports on the next frontier in touchscreens: “Touchscreens that feel nubbly or even fur-like? That’s the surreal promise behind new technology from Tokyo firm Senseg, which allows users to feel textures captured in an image on a tablet’s display screen — photos of pebbles, sandpaper, or packing material will feel like the real thing.” Potential uses include virtual keyboards with discernible key edges, Braille tablets, and touch-based video games.

Deafness shaped Beethoven’s music

According to scientists, progressive deafness profoundly influenced Beethoven’s compositions, prompting him to choose lower-frequency notes as his condition worsened, AFP reports. What’s really interesting is that once he was totally deaf, the higher notes returned. “When he came to rely completely on his inner ear, he was no longer compelled to produce music he could actually hear when performed, and slowly returned to his inner musical world and early composing experiences,” says the research paper. Check out a video about the project below:

More reading

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The Blind Film Critic: “THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1″

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

(left) Blind Film Critic, Tommy Edison. (right) Kristin Stewart

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Plot Summary: Bella and Edward, plus those they love, must deal with the chain of consequences brought on by a marriage, honeymoon, and the tumultuous birth of a child… which brings an unforeseen and shocking development for Jacob Black

Continue reading The Blind Film Critic: “THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1″

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