Accessibility at Cisco
Cisco is committed to designing and delivering accessible products and technologies to meet the needs of your organization. Cisco’s Accessibility Initiative is a company-wide effort that stresses the importance of creating accessible products.
Cisco launches the first desk phone with built-in text-to-speech
Cisco is the first company to offer the first enterprise-grade desk phone that includes built-in text-to-speech functionality. Developed with collaborative input from the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the software update for the Cisco’s IP Phone 8800 Series is a huge step toward making the digital workplace more accessible for the blind and visually impaired.
Cisco Accessibility Initiative
Cisco's vision is to improve the way all people work, live, play, and learn.
Cisco’s Accessibility Initiative identifies global accessibility and usability requirements and establishes strategies and processes to integrate accessibility throughout Cisco’s operations. Cisco's commitment is to make its products, services, websites, and documentation accessible and usable by people with disabilities, either by design or through compatible use with assistive technology.
For further guidance on Cisco’s accessibility solutions or questions regarding Cisco products, please contact Cisco Accessibility by filling out this form with your inquiry.
Cisco Accessibility Policy
The following key objectives for company business processes and activities help ensure that Cisco products and services benefit the disabled community:
- Increase awareness of accessibility within Cisco.
- Provide employees with the training needed to design, produce, market, and deliver accessible products, websites, and documentation.
- Develop and apply policies and guidelines to evaluate accessibility, usability, and compatibility with applicable equipment, services, websites and documentation.
- Evaluate accessibility and usability throughout the product design, development, and fabrication processes as early and consistently as possible.
- Report ways these guidelines are implemented where competitively, technically, and economically feasible.
Accessibility Laws and Standards
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
Cisco complies with accessibility laws and strives to supply end-user devices that conform to and support the U.S. Access Board's standards as referenced in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act
Cisco employs common accessibility features in its user devices, documents, and services, and has tested and achieved compatibility with third-party assistive devices. Cisco’s networks are compatible with common analog devices from the network core to the individual user.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Cisco complies with the ADA by enabling accessibility and implementing reasonable accommodation in public areas and in its own workplace.
21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA)
The CVAA is divided into two broad titles or sections. Title I addresses communications access to make products and services using broadband fully accessible to people with disabilities. Title II breaks new ground to make it easier for people with disabilities to view video programming on television and the Internet. Cisco works to make its products covered by the CVAA accessible.
Ontario Reg. 191/11: Integrated Accessibility Standards (IAS)
This IAS implements the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. It requires Ontario companies to have an accessibility plan and standards regarding information, communication, and customer service to ensure they provide equal access to goods, services, and facilities to those in Ontario with disabilities as those without disabilities. It also includes accessibility standards regarding employment. This regulation does not obligate products (hardware, software, services) to be accessible.
In support of this regulation:
- Cisco has an Ontario accessibility plan and policy. Cisco will make available information about this accessibility plan and policy as well its publicly available information in an accessible format on request. Contact Cisco Accessibility.
- Contact Cisco Accessibility with feedback about how Cisco provides information and access to its products, services, or facilities to persons in Ontario with disabilities. Cisco will respond to your request as soon as possible on receipt.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
Cisco adopts the WCAG 2.0 Level A & AA requirements as best practices for development, testing and overall conformance for the accessibility of Cisco web-based (software, SaaS and cloud based) products. Cisco is now working towards WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA requirements and began rolling out product testing aligned to this standard starting December 2020. The test results feed into Cisco’s development work across business units to improve WCAG Level A and AA conformance. This is an ongoing cycle and will continue as the standard evolves.
Standards
Cisco’s accessibility initiatives are based soundly on public standards, including those issued by the U.S. Access Board, and on guidelines, including those published by the international World Wide Web Consortium.
Cisco also contributes to accessibility standards and guidelines created by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).