HKNC Comprehensive Vocational Rehabilitation Training Services

Independent Living Training

Learning adaptive skills can help you manage your home more independently.

A woman cooking in a kitchen under supervision of another woman

Overview

Discover technologies and strategies to gain or maintain your independence.

Your independent living instructors will show you how to manage your home safely and efficiently. From cooking and cleaning to budgeting, shopping and paying the bills, you’ll acquire the skills you need to live as independently as you choose.

What You’ll Learn

Independent living training custom-designed for your needs and goals.

Each person’s abilities, challenges and living situation are different. Our independent living training focuses on the tools and skills to maximize your independence in your home.

Shopping

Plan your budget. Navigate a store with a support service provider (SSP) and take advantage of online grocery-delivery services.

Food Preparation

Plan menus and use adaptive equipment and techniques to cook and prepare food.

Organization

Clean and maintain your space. Put your home in order with labeling, food storage and clothing organization systems.

Personal Care

Learn to use low vision and vibrating alarm clocks and signal-alerting systems. Handle your personal grooming tasks.

Step Up to Independence

Hands-on Learning

At HKNC, you’ll receive practical, hands-on training in environments that give you the chance to tackle real world situations. Whether you’re cooking in our kitchen-classroom, learning to do laundry in the residence building, shopping in town or testing your wings in one of our on- or off-campus apartments, every lesson is designed to give you as realistic an experience as possible. Learning by doing will enable you to identify potential problems and develop strategies that will work for you when you return home.

In the Kitchen

Our independent living classroom features kitchen stations complete with sinks, counters, cabinets and tactually marked appliances. It’s the ideal space in which to develop tactual skills and explore adaptive equipment.

You’ll create meals using the kinds of appliances you’d use at home, including:

Stovetop/Oven
Microwave
Electric Grill
Electric Skillet
Slow Cooker
Toaster Oven
Air Fryer

Apartment Life

Depending on your goals and skill level, you may have the opportunity to move from a dorm room to one of our on-campus apartments, which include a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom.

You may have the option to move into one of HKNC’s off-campus studio apartments, where you’ll continue to receive support from your independent living instructors as you enjoy a new level of independence.

Community Life

HKNC headquarters is situated in Sands Point, New York, and there is a vibrant downtown with shopping areas and restaurants and other activities in the neighboring town of Port Washington.

You’ll have access to a support service provider (SSP), who will accompany you on trips into town to provide you with important environmental information. Residential staff are also available to accompany you to the community for errands or other needs while you are here.

During your training at HKNC, you will compile a book of community resources ─ including information on SSPs, volunteers and transportation ─ for use when you return home.

Independent Living Video Resources

These functional video resources were created to demonstrate various tactual techniques, adaptive equipment and modifications that can be used to provide access for people who are DeafBlind and therefore increase independence in one’s home.