Applause has announced an expanded partnership with Webex by Cisco to enhance accessibility across its suite of collaboration tools. This initiative strengthens Webex’s commitment to inclusive design, ensuring all users—including individuals with disabilities—can seamlessly engage with its products.
As part of this extended collaboration, Applause will conduct ongoing conformance assessments for additional Webex Suite products, aligning them with evolving accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. By integrating accessibility testing earlier in the development lifecycle, Webex can maintain its dedication to inclusivity while driving innovation.
“At Webex, we focus on people and improving their collaboration experiences. This focus fuels our innovation to remove the barriers of geography, language, personality and familiarity with technology. Building on our mutual vision to enhance employee experiences, Cisco and Applause are expanding our partnership to encourage equitable collaboration for all,” said Travis Isaacs, chief design officer at Webex by Cisco.
Digital Accessibility
With deep expertise in user experience (UX) and inclusive design, Applause has played a key role in helping Webex achieve consistent accessibility compliance across multiple products. The program has also helped Webex scale its accessibility efforts internally, tripling the number of Cisco Accessibility Champions—employees who advocate for and implement accessibility best practices.
This has improved developer efficiency, with fewer accessibility-related issues to remediate later in development.
One core advantage of working with Applause’s global community of independent testers is access to diverse perspectives and real-world usage scenarios. The program includes testers with permanent disabilities, such as blindness, deafness, or mobility impairments, and individuals with temporary or degenerative conditions. This broad range of user experiences ensures that Webex products are designed with true inclusivity.
“At Applause, we want to make sure apps, devices and experiences are not just functional and intuitive, but that they are also enjoyable and perform optimally for everyone, everywhere,” said Bob Farrell, Vice President, Solution Delivery and Accessibility, Applause.
Applause’s fully managed accessibility solutions assist organizations at any stage of their accessibility journey.