Bank of America recognized by Disability:IN for eighth year in a row
Bank of America has been named as a leader in supporting people with disabilities. For the eighth year in a row, the company received a top score on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), an annual listing of companies evaluated by Disability:IN that are leading the way in policies, practices and programs that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
Support for employees with disabilities: Bank of America ensures that all employees have access to the technology and information needed to reach their goals. Closed captioning is available for internal employee broadcasts and web-conferencing platforms. Employees can also use navigation tools designed for the visually impaired to order technology equipment. Our Disability Action Network (DAN) supports employees with disabilities, as well as employees who have family members, friends or clients with disabilities, by connecting them to opportunities for professional growth and development, holding information forums, and providing opportunities for community involvement. DAN has more than 26,000 members and 30 chapters worldwide. Our Life Event Services team provides personalized support for major life events, including connecting employees, managers and human resource partners who need consultation, identification and implementation of workplace accommodations.
Being magnetic for top talent, including people with disabilities: Bank of America has staffing teammates dedicated to disability hiring, who partner with external disability organizations to help get referrals into the company’s pipeline. In 2019, Bank of America launched a neurodiversity hiring program, in partnership with Neurodiversity in the Workplace. As part of the program, neurodivergent candidates participate in a skill-based hiring screening that gives them an opportunity to directly demonstrate role-related competencies. The bank also partners with national agencies and local community-based organizations to provide people with disabilities equal access to employment opportunities. This extends to disabled veterans and partnerships with organizations including the Department of Defense’s Hiring our Heroes, Vocational Rehabilitation and Goodwill Industries.
Providing accessible banking and integrated solutions: Bank of America is committed to investing in its entire network of retail financial centers. This includes becoming the first financial services company with a nationwide footprint to offer Aira services in all of our financial centers and remote ATMs —technology that helps blind and low-vision clients better access financial centers and ATMs. This free virtual assistant service connects special needs clients with highly-trained professionals who work with bank teammates to provide visual information on demand via an app.
We promote accessible banking through a variety of tools and services, including accessible facilities, auxiliary aids and services at no charge. Talking ATMs deliver private spoken instructions through a headset that plugs into an audio jack to help customers complete their transactions. Currently, there are nearly 15,000 talking ATMs.
The bank also offers ADA-compliant banking services through its iPhone mobile app, online banking chat and sales. Also, as part of a continued investment in its financial center and ATM network to better serve the needs of all clients, Bank of America has introduced ADA Specialty Centers in Brockton, MA, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, CA. The sites were specifically chosen for their proximity to schools for the blind and deaf, as well as Veteran Affairs hospitals. The Centers feature many tailored capabilities, some include Better Money Habits®, hearing induction loops and American Sign Language-trained employees.
Our financial advisors who are certified in Special Needs Planning provide integrated solutions for the entire household and help address issues that may be unique to families of individuals with disabilities.
