LIVING SKILLS

Cooking:  Instruction occurs in the students’ apartments. Students choose what they would like to learn to cook. Starting from the first week, students begin learning to:

--plan their weekly menus

--grocery shop

--cook their own meals

-- use the microwave, oven and stovetop 

-- search for recipes

-- store food safely

-- shop for groceries

Cleaning: 

Roommates share the responsibility for keeping their apartment clean.  Curriculum includes:

--knowledge of cleaning products and equipment

--cleaning skills

--effective cleaning habits

Care of Clothing:  

This area involves everything from learning how to fold clothing, if necessary, to learning about clothing styles.   Examples of skills students learn:

--how to use the apartment laundry facilities

--organization skills

--spot removal

--labeling techniques

--sewing, if appropriate

--ironing or using the hand-held steamer

--clothes shopping

Braille

If appropriate, students are evaluated in Braille skills, and an individualized curriculum is designed for each Braille student, which may include the following skills:

--beginning, intermediate, or advanced  Braille skills

--practical use of Braille (labeling, phone numbers, playing cards)

--use of refreshable Braille displays, Braille translation software, Braille embossers

ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY

Students receive cane travel training in local areas and in the wider Bay Area. Emphasis is on practical use of skills, and includes:        

--human guide

--cane technique

--address-finding skills

--intersection analysis

--route planning

--paratransit,

--local busses

--Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)

--Amtrak

--air travel when appropriate.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 

 Students pay their own rent and all other bills and develop very real credit reputations, so financial management skills are a high priority.  Each student is assigned one teacher as a “Financial Advisor” and works with that teacher from the first week to begin to manage his/her own business affairs.  Instruction is given in: 

--Self-advocacy skills

--Paying bills

--Keeping a check record

--Budgeting

ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY

 The Hatlen Center Access Technology Lab is located in an apartment within the complex where our students live.  Individual lessons are held during the day, and the lab is also open in the evenings for students to use.  Students are taught to use technology in their daily lives to communicate, access information, complete college courses, and gain information about jobs and housing.  Students are invited to try out various software and hardware in order to determine which technologies best suit their needs.  The following equipment and software are available in The Hatlen Center lab:

--Screen-reading Software: Hal, Jaws, Window-Eyes

--Screen-magnification Software: Lunar

--Screen-magnification Software with Integrated Speech: LunarPlus, MAGic, Supernova, Zoomtext

--OCR Scanning Software: Kurzweil 1000, OpenBook

--Other Access Software: Duxbury,  Talking Typer for Windows, Talking Checkbook, IBM HomePage Reader

--Portable Electronic Reading Device:  Book Port

--Personal Digital Assistant:  BrailleNote MPower QT-32 with Sendero GPS, VoiceSense, Braille Plus Mobile Manager, PACMate BX420 with StreetTalk GPS & QX400, Maestro with Trekker GPS

--Braille Embosser:  VersaPoint

--Access Keyboard: BAT Personal Keyboard

--CCTV/Video Magnifier:  Optelec ClearView, Assist Vision Neo, Clarity DeskMate

--Portable Video Magnifier:  Assist Vision Slider, Freedom Scientific Opal

--Refreshable Braille Display: Focus40

--Graphical Tactile Display: DotView DV-1, DV-2

Students use technology to organize schedules and appointment information, pay bills, write papers for college classes, email for business and/or personal reasons, research the internet for route information, housing, jobs, and even recipes.  The Hatlen Center makes every attempt to keep the access technology lab as “cutting edge” as possible.

PRE-VOCATIONAL

When a student has gained independence in the basics of independent living skills, each one is encouraged to move to the next step. 

That step may be taking one or two college classes.  About half of our students attend nearby colleges part-time.  These students learn how to apply to college, hire readers, gain access to books, what to expect from their rehabilitation counselor, the tricks of campus mobility and much more through an HCB authored curriculum titled:

How To Succeed In College For Those Who Are Visually Impaired.

Others may choose to find part-time work. These students concentrate on:

--pre-vocational skills

--job exploration

--job applications

--resume writing

--interviewing skills

Many students find part-time jobs and are supported by staff in their efforts to succeed.

RECREATION

The Hatlen Center believes that a wide variety of recreational activities broadens students experience and boosts self-esteem.  Examples of some activities are:

--overnight ocean kayaking to Angel Island

--two-night cross-country ski trip in the Sierras

--peach picking

--hiking

--camping

--potluck dinners

--trips to San Francisco