Championing employment for individuals with disabilities starts at home for Bank of America

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[On screen copy] Support Services at Bank of America employs over 300 people with intellectual disabilities
Music throughout
Selina Waller - So many success stories in here, it’s just crazy.
[On screen copy] Keri Laws, Support Services Employee
Keri Laws - It makes me feel really good that I’m getting married this year.
[On screen copy] Dawn Trinidad, Support Services Employee
Dawn Trinidad - I’m a good influence on my son because I got my job here.
[On screen copy] Selina Waller, Support Services Employee
Selina - Everybody encourage you to do your best.
Dawn - Yes, this is a job that I can do!
Selina - I have a future here.
Keri - We’ve become friends here at Bank of America, it’s like a family.
[On screen copy] Bank of America signage
Kelly Fredrickson - Support Services is an organization within Bank of America of about 300 people with intellectual disabilities. And they do graphic design, printing, kitting, fulfilling, and inventory management.
[On screen copy] Kelly Fredrickson, Creative, Brand and Agency Management Executive
Kelly - That’s what they do. Who they are is one of the best parts of Bank of America.
[On screen copy] Mark Feinour, Support Services Executive
Mark Feinour - The culture within Support Services is for our teammates to look out for each other. And what we found with Ron and Terence is, they have a special relationship. Ron is a great resource for Terence, to help him get to and from the building each morning. And then on the flip side, Terence is a help with Ron when they sit there and do fulfillment jobs together. They compliment each other well with their abilities.
Speaker - Ron is an asset to the team, keep up the great job Ron.
[On screen copy] Anne Finucane, Vice Chairman
Anne Finucane - So much of what you do is about the respect that we’re giving to our customers. Without your help, we simply would not do as well. And you should congratulate yourselves for that.
Mark - We consider Support Services like any other line of business. Everything that we do within Support Services is 100% quality checked. And 99% of our business is repeat business because our customers see what we do and realize that they’re getting a better product at a lower cost than they would using an outside supplier.
Kelly - We have a real opportunity and responsibility at Bank of America to demonstrate inclusivity, to demonstrate what it means to build a diverse workforce, to demonstrate that we understand our customers’ needs, all of our customers. And I think having a group like Support Services integral to the fabric of Bank of America helps all of our employees understand what it means to work in an inclusive place.
Selina - Hey guys, how we doing this morning?
(laughter)
Selina - Family, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. This is family. From the moment we come in the morning till the time we leave, this is us.
End card: (end slide)
Bank of America logo
ALL OF US / BETTER CONNECTED
To learn more, visit bankofamerica.com/supportinginclusion

© 2017 Bank of America Corporation
End card: (end card)
Bank of America logo
LIFE / BETTER CONNECTED
To learn more, visit bankofamerica.com/supportinginclusion

© 2017 Bank of America Corporation

At Bank of America, we believe it’s important to understand the 3 million people in the U.S. with intellectual disabilities, both as customers and as employees. We have a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion, from employing individuals with disabilities to engaging employees through advocacy and volunteerism and ensuring our products and services are accessible.

Our Support Services team is an in-house marketing and fulfillment operation made up of 300 employees with intellectual disabilities, who support every major line of business within the enterprise. The group operates in Wilmington, Delaware; Belfast, Maine; Dallas, Texas; and now Boston, Massachusetts. Everything they touch affects the customer.

Support Services gives individuals facing barriers to employment the opportunity to achieve financial stability and become successful members of their communities.

“Support Services is one way we are creating an environment where all employees, including those with disabilities, have an opportunity to succeed and achieve their goals and is a demonstration of our broader commitment to strong environmental, social and governance practices,” said Anne Finucane, vice chairman.

Learn more about Support Services.

As Support Services senior executive Mark Feinour explains, “We’re just like any other business. We just happen to have a different talent pool that we draw from.”

1-3%

of the total U.S. population has an intellectual disability
62%

of people with intellectual disabilities who work in a competitive setting have been there three years or more
The majority of adults with intellectual disabilities are unemployed or underemployed

^{[Statistic #1] Source: Special Olympics. What is Intellectual Disability? (2017). Specialolympics.org. Retrieved from http://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/Who_We_Are/What_Is_Intellectual_Disability.aspx

[Statistic #2] Source: Questions & Answers about Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (2017). Eeoc.gov. Retrieved from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/intellectual_disabilities.cfm#fn7

[Statistic #3] Source: Special Olympics. What Is Intellectual Disability? (2017). Specialolympics.org. Retrieved from http://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/Who_We_Are/What_Is_Intellectual_Disability.aspx}

Championing employment for individuals with disabilities starts at home for Bank of America

1-3%

62%

Advertising practices