In order to maintain contact with Nebraska VR students, clients, and staff members, as well as employers, providers, and other stakeholders, it will be necessary to conduct virtual meetings at the participant's preference or when in-person options are not available.  Remote and virtual platforms available to all Nebraska VR staff members include: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, and Webex (by request).

Depending on the participant’s preferences and abilities, different communication strategies should be explored to ensure accessibility and confidentiality, as appropriate. Some elements to consider regarding communication are: preferred/primary language and translation needs, reading and writing ability, mental health, physical accommodation needs, hearing, vision, family involvement, and intellectual and cognitive abilities.

Consider the following challenges common to virtual meetings:

• overwhelming information 
• complex language or jargon 
• difficulty reading documents on-screen
• difficulty hearing or seeing other participants
• distracting surroundings and backgrounds
• technical difficulties
• meeting time and duration 
• discussing or displaying personal and confidential information

Additional considerations are included in the attached companion guide. 

To ensure security and privacy, the following steps should be considered based on the audience when utilizing virtual meeting tools:

• In an effort to preserve the confidentiality and security of Nebraska VR students and clients, no meetings initiated by Nebraska VR staff members with clients and/or students will be recorded.
• Team meetings should not be recorded unless all parties in the meting are aware and agree.
  • Any recorded meeting may become a public record which then is subject to the records retention schedule requirements. Additionally, should the recording be requested as a public record, the details of the session would no longer be confidential.  
• Nebraska VR staff members must familiarize themselves with virtual meeting platform settings and features to maximize security. Tutorials and training updates can often be found on the manufacturer’s website. 
• Passwords should be used to ensure only invited participants are included in the meeting.
• Use the “waiting room” feature to monitor invitees and participants and to ensure privacy of any confidential information, when appropriate.
• A meeting link should be shared directly with participants and only posted publicly for meetings available to the general public.
• Nebraska VR staff members must refrain from taking/posting screenshots of video sessions when a media release has not been completed.
• Use screen sharing options with caution, as the entire computer screen may be visible to participants.
• Manage screen sharing options by keeping screen share as “Host Only”.
• Should an incident consistent with the Violent and Disruptive Behavior chapter occur during a virtual meeting, applicable processes and documentation must be completed.
• The following content should be included in the electronic invite to all Nebraska VR students and clients when a Nebraska VR staff member is arranging a virtual meeting. Instructions for adding the content to the Outlook invite are available with this link using your education.ne.gov login.

Nebraska VR is using video conferencing tools to stay connected.  I have invited you to participate in a virtual meeting using the link below.

Here are a few reminders for the upcoming virtual meeting:

• During the meeting, it will be possible to hear and see one another.
• Please be prepared for the virtual meeting as you would if we were meeting in person at an office, school, or public setting.
• In order to use the time most efficiently, please set up in a space with limited/no distractions.

If you require an accommodation or have questions about the meeting, please contact me or notify host before the meeting date. Thank you!

<<insert virtual meeting information here>>