Accessible COG Meetings
It is our expectation that all meetings and events which are conducted by the COG are accessible to individuals with disabilities. COG is committed to creating accessible opportunities for all individuals to attend and fully participate in its public meetings.
General Forum/Committee Meeting Accommodation Request Form
Accessible Meeting Location:
COG hosts its public meetings in the General Forum room of the COG building located at 2643 Gateway Drive, State College, PA 16801. The building and meeting room space are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes accessible parking, ramps, or other entrances, as well as having accessible restrooms on-site. Wheelchair access to meeting rooms, accommodations for service animals, and guides are available to help convey information to those with vision impairments.
Advance Meeting Announcement:
Regular COG public meetings for January are published in December and regular meetings for the remainder of the calendar year are published in January in the Centre Daily Times newspaper, as well as on the COG website once each committee and the General Forum have conducted its annual reorganizational meeting.
COG adheres to the following guidance provided for in the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act to advertise its meetings:
Regular – Public meetings that have a prearranged schedule must be advertised at least 72 hours in advance.
Special – A meeting scheduled by an agency after the agency’s regular schedule of meetings has been established must be advertised at least 24 hours in advance.
Rescheduled – A meeting that is rescheduled by an agency to be held on a date that is different from the originally scheduled regular meeting date must be advertised at least 24 hours in advance.
Emergency – There is no advance notice required for a meeting called for the purpose of dealing with a real or potential emergency involving a clear and present danger to life or property.
Non-Public Meetings – Executive sessions, conferences, etc. do not require any advance notice to the public.
Assisted Listening Devices:
In-room participants at meetings who have hearing disabilities can request an auxiliary assisted listening device (Williams Sound EAR 022 Surround Earphone and Williams Sound PPA R37N PPA Select FM Receiver).
Audio Descriptions:
Blind and low-vision users who are unable to see visual information will rely on oral or pre-recorded audio that describes the text, images, graphics, charts, animations, and video that comprise the visual portion of the presentation.Deaf audience members will rely on sign language interpreters (if requested) to describe this same information.
Captioning:
- COG’s chosen hybrid meeting platform, Zoom, allows remote participants to select and begin closed captioning on their devices.
- In-person participants who desire closed captioning to be displayed on the General Forum meeting room projection screens can request that staff enable this feature on the General Forum room iPad.
- COG has partnered with C-NET to offer automated captioning service, allowing C-NET to provide captioning on online, on-demand programs (COG General Forum, Finance Committee Budget Review Sessions, Centre County MPO, and Centre Region Planning Commission meetings). This important service enables more of our community members to access our meetings and connect with the work of the COG.
Equal Opportunity to Participate:
The COG has time set aside at each of its public meetings early on in the agenda for time designated for public comment and addressing all questions and comments. The COG is committed to ensuring that all participants have an equal opportunity to provide input and ask questions during the meeting.
Hybrid Meeting Pathway:
The COG offers a remote Zoom option for its committee and General Forum meetings. This allows all citizens to view and participate in government affairs from the comfort of their homes and on their own schedules.
Provide Accessible Documents:
- COG agenda materials are posted within 24 hours of the meeting and are located on SharePoint, accessed by way of the COG website at https://www.crcog.net/. These PDF materials can be resized electronically and/or read aloud using Acrobat Reader.
- Several printed copies of meeting agendas are available for in-room participants.
- With prior notice, these documents can be provided using larger print.
Video/Audio Archiving:
Audio files of COG public meetings are located and archived on SharePoint for one year and are accessed by way of the COG website at https://www.crcog.net/. Many COG meetings are covered by C-NET and are archived at https://www.cnet1.org/. Meetings produced by C-NET are indexed with chapters for easy navigation.
COG provides accessible recordings of its meetings which is considered a reasonable accommodation to help ensure equal access to information and participation in government meetings. Individuals can review the material at their own pace, access information in alternative formats, and use assistive technology to access content that might otherwise be inaccessible. It also benefits those unable to attend the meeting due to scheduling conflicts and allows them to catch up on the meeting and stay informed on government actions while having access to all information presented in the meeting.
Video Streaming:
To further promote inclusivity and diversity, when possible, the COG streams its public meetings live on YouTube which allows citizens to stay up to date with local affairs without having to attend meetings in person. YouTube also offers several accessibility features.
COG Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator / Compliance Officer
COG Human Resources Director (employee/applicant requests, concerns and complaints) - Rebecca Petitt - rpetitt@crcog.net
COG Executive Office Administrator (public meeting questions and requests for accommodations, complaints) - Scott Binkley - sbinkley@crcog.net
Any such investigation, or response to an ADA inquiry, will be directed by the appropriate designated ADA Compliance Officer, who is fully empowered to conduct such investigations and to recommend, directly to the Executive Director, the appropriate remedial action.