How to Host a Virtual Meeting
How to Conduct an Accessible Virtual Meeting
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- Ensure your client has access to technology and platform ahead of time
- Help your client to create a plan to ask for support or assistance to access location, technology or an internet connection for the meeting.
- Ensure your client has time, date, and a reminder set up ahead of scheduled meeting.
- Provide client with agenda ahead of time and list of information they may be required to have for meeting.
- Ask support person to attend if possible and provide reminders and cueing to client
- Remind your client to be in a quiet location, use headphones to block out distractions
- Test platform with your client ahead of time to ensure they can use/access the platform
- Use a simple and easy to access platform. If possible, ask the client their preference, maybe more comfortable using a simple technology such as facetime or Whatsapp if applicable.
- Provide recording of meeting to client if allowed/possible for the client to review.
- Speak clearly and slowly as this may be difficult to follow for an individual with a cognitive impairment.
- Ask the client what time of day is best for their attention and focus Morning or afternoon
- Keep the information simple and concise and limit the number of participants to avoid overwhelming the client.
- Ask the client if they need a break.
- Keep meeting brief as virtual meetings can be cognitively fatiguing
- Remind client of steps, keeping muted to reduce background noise and distractions
- Repeat information as necessary and ask client if they understand, ask client to repeat back.
- Be patient, set up cues with client if the client is feeling overwhelmed or confused. Eg. Raise hand to alert .
- Send client a summary of meeting notes via email, google drive or mail for their review and to track in their court binder/google drive.