[NFBCS] Accessibility of PacketTracer

Tue Sep 15 16:14:28 UTC 2026

Hello Avery:

     Back in 2009, I tried to go through the process of obtaining a CCNA.
With some help from colleagues and the instructor I managed to get through
the courses.

I am totally blind, have a BS in Computer Science, use the JAWS screen
reader and a braille display.

I managed to get through the first two Cisco Discovery classes but couldn't
get past Packet Tracer. At the time, it wasn't accessible.

Perhaps if Packet Tracer saves setup information for a lab, a way could be
found to create a setup file prior to starting Packet Tracer.

Due to access issues, I tried a different school that offered online
training. Regrettably, the school didn't have the resources to teach the
courses.

I have a question, can routers, switches etc. be controlled using a PC in
terminal mode and a serial interface?

Have a great day.

Regards,

Robert

From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Cook, Avery B via NFBCS
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 8:50 AM
To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
Cc: Cook, Avery B <avery.cook at sctcc.edu>
Subject: [NFBCS] Accessibility of PacketTracer

Good Morning al! 

I hope this email finds your week going well! I am the Accessibility
Services Coordinator at St. Cloud Technical & Community College and I am
working with a student who is blind and has started in our Cybersecurity
program this semester. 

I was hoping to reach out to this amazing brain trust of professionals to
see if anyone has any experience working with a software called PacketTracer
through Cisco. The student has been having trouble with their screenreader
using this software. The folks at Cisco have assured us that things are
fully accessible, but we are still finding hiccups. 

In summary, the instructions in PacketTracer work with the student's screen
reader but the command line window to configure in PacketTracer is full not
working with the screen reader. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to best support this student? 

Thank you for your time! 

AC

Avery Cook, M.S.

Accessibility Services Coordinator | SCTCC Women's Club Staff Advisor 

St. Cloud Technical & Community College

1540 Northway Drive, St Cloud, MN 56303-1240-

320.308.5064 |   <mailto:avery.cook at sctcc.edu> avery.cook at sctcc.edu |
<https://www.sctcc.edu/accessibility-services>
sctcc.edu/accessibility-services

 <https://sctcc.edu/accessibility-scheduling> Click Here to Book an
Appointment

Pronouns: She | Her | Hers

TRULY HUMAN NOTICE:  Getting this email out of typical working hours? The
ways in which we work have changed. Everyone processes information in
different ways and often at different times than what we think of as
typical. We now often work at a digitally-enabled relentless pace, which can
disrupt our ability to sleep enough, eat right, exercise, and spend time
with the people that matter most. I am sending you this email at a time that
works for me. I only expect you to respond to it when convenient to you.

St. Cloud Technical & Community College Mission: We provide the education,
training, and support necessary for equitable participation in our society,
economy, and democracy.

**Confidentiality Notice: The information included in this e-mail is
intended only for the recipient to whom it is addressed. The message and any
attachments may contain confidential information. Any transmission or
disclosure of the information by persons other than the intended recipient
is prohibited. If you received this information in error, please contact the
sender and delete the information immediately.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260915/1ec41a88/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 41489 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260915/1ec41a88/attachment.jpg>