As part of Cisco's commitment to diversity, we design our offices, labs, and systems to accommodate employees with disabilities. Our products, services, Websites, and documentation are made accessible, either through their design or through use of assistive technology. We work with multiple organizations to enhance our physical facilities, increase awareness of disability issues in the workplace, and promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities:

• We sponsor the National Business and Disability Council, the leading U.S. resource center for companies looking at ways to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace.
• Through a more than 10-year relationship with Project Hired, which specializes in helping people with disabilities find work, we have employed many people. We ask these employees to consult with us on accessibility initiatives and workplace modifications.
• At the American Association of People with Disabilities National Disability Mentoring Day, Cisco employees with disabilities acted as mentors for students and veterans with disabilities, teaching them about information technology career opportunities.

Training and Hiring Injured Veterans

Cisco is always looking for new ways to improve recruitment of disabled persons. In FY2006, Cisco implemented an initiative with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Injured service personnel receive training and educational opportunities while they recuperate in the hospital. This program helps them to prepare for jobs in the networking industry, and possibly at Cisco.

In the future, Cisco will work with both the U.S. Department of Labor and some state agencies to install networking equipment in veterans hospitals and military bases, similar to a Networking Academy site, to help veterans become familiar with Cisco equipment.