Bank of America Works for Financial Independence for People with Disabilities

By Joan Leotta

"Financial independence isn't always about money," says Annette Kellermann of Bank of America. "Sometimes it's about access."

Photo of a woman using a Bank of America automated teller machine. Her guide dog (a yellow lab) sits next to her.

Talking ATM allows Bank of America to easily access funds

With that in mind, three years ago Bank of America integrated its various efforts for customers with disabilities into one program. The Bank of America Accessible Banking™ program, envisioned as a holistic approach to providing service to people with disabilities, focuses the bank's efforts as never before. Sensitivity to the needs of the disability community had long been a part of the bank's planning, but implementation was sometimes fragmented across the bank's business channels and geographies.

At a time when banking conglomerates are quickly losing that home-town charm, Bank of America is scrutinizing how it welcomes new clients. Kellermann notes that there is an increasing awareness in the banking world that commitment to diversity means more than race, gender, and ethnicity. "All customers want essentially the same services: checking, savings, mortgage," says Kellermann. "Our strategy has been to focus on how to make those products and services available to all."

Kellermann, who is Program Manager for the Accessible Banking™ program and a Bank of America Vice President, notes that the bank has had similar programs in existence since the early 1990s. "We try to integrate access into everything we do," says Kellermann. "We look at the program from a perspective of the intangible—access to service."

Kellermann stresses that Bank's Accessible Banking™ efforts go beyond just implementation of ADA requirements. "There is more to the program than large-print statements, TTY phone lines, raised-line checks and even accessible web pages—it's an attitude."

Program Genesis

Although many accessibility initiatives had been in place at Bank of America for years, the new program ensures that now none are achieved in isolation. "The development of new accessible services such as Talking ATMs and online services helped us realize that there was a need to package all of our accessible services into one program," says Kellermann.

The intent of the Accessible Banking™ program is to make the Bank's environment easier to navigate not just for customers, but also for employees. Says Kellermann, "We formed an Associate Advisory Team comprised of employees with disabilities. They meet on staffing and facility access issues within the bank and also review our efforts for customers. They bring to our attention, more quickly than otherwise, issues that could affect our customers." For example, the group recently provided feedback on how the Bank's Talking ATMs could be improved for customers.

To reach managers across the numerous Bank of America locations, staffers from the Accessible Banking™ Team oversaw the creation of an accessibility page on the company's internal Web site. Says Kellermann, "The site is a one-stop-shop for our Associates. Whether a manager is hiring someone with a disability or interacting with a customer with a disability this portal can help." This site, however, does not replace live training for employees. All customer service representatives receive education on the needs of dealing with persons with disabilities as well.

Services Offered through the Bank of America Accessible Banking™ Program

Many services available through the Accessible Banking™ Program are simply adaptations of what Bank of America provides for all its customers. Bank of America provides the following for customers with disabilities.

General online services—General information regarding Bank of America accounts and services, including personal checking, savings, CDs, IRAs, consumer loans, and mortgages, is available through the Bank of America Web site (http://www.bankofamerica.com). Anyone can open an account, apply for a loan, request services, or even perform banking transactions through the bank's secure Web site. Account-holders can also pay their bills through the site.

Web accessibility and the Accessible Banking™ Web pages—Bank of America is in the process of making its entire Web site accessible for all users, based on priorities one and two of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Of particular interest are the Accessible Banking™ Web pages, located under Specialized Banking and Additional Services from the main Bank of America page, that provide an overview of Bank of America's accessible services.

Telephone Banking—Toll-free voice and TTY numbers are available for all customer service centers. Automated Telephone Banking options, available at any time, allow customers to:

review account balances on checking, savings, money-market savings, and loan accounts;
verify recent activity on those accounts; and
transfer funds between accounts.

Talking ATMs—Equipped with audible instructions, Talking ATMs provide a secure, easy way for customers who are blind or visually impaired to withdraw cash, make deposits, and perform other transactions.

Alternative Formats—Information found in some Bank of America printed material is available in accessible formats for customers, including:

Braille and large-print statements for checking and savings accounts
raised-line checks
online and automated telephone information on Talking ATM locations
online and reader services for general information, account and loan applications, legal disclosures, account activity, and changes in account terms and conditions

Access Loans—Bank of America offers loans for the purchase of adaptive equipment or for home improvements to provide increased accessibility. These loans are available in states where Bank of America has banking and loan centers.

Abilities Scholarship Program—A scholarship program established by Bank of America provides up to a total of $200,000 to assist students with disabilities receive education and training that will enhance their chances for success in the workforce.

Results and Awards

Due to the integrated nature of the program, the bank finds it difficult to quantify the impact of any one aspect. But inquiries show that the program is indeed meeting a need-and may become a model for other holistic programs as well. Programs like this make it easy for consumers to locate services that may be of interest to them. For example, the bank recently began a consolidation of all of its Hispanic consumer services on one Web page.

To promote their Talking ATMs—one of the newest aspects of the Accessible Banking™ program—Bank of America representatives have participated in conferences related to services for people with disabilities in areas where the ATMs are to be installed. In addition, they have held Accessible Banking™ Expos and created a national advertising campaign featuring the Talking ATMs. Internally the bank has held training for all associates to learn how to operate the new machines.

For these efforts, Bank of America received the Disability Rights Advocates 2000 Eagle Award and a resolution of appreciation from the California Council of the Blind.