* US Bank - Valuing Customers with Disabilities
* OBLN Receives National Recognition
* Disability Mentoring Day - Oregon Companies Open Their Doors

Here in the Portland/Vancouver area of Oregon, the US Bank employs about 3000 people and operates 78 retail branches. It has also captured about 26% of its market share in this area. According to Tina Foster, Senior Vice President and Manager, the Bank’s success is largely founded on its commitment to effectively meet the needs of every customer who walks in their door. Tina graciously took the time to explain to us how and why US Bank particularly values the business of their customers with disabilities.

OBLN: Tina, as one segment of its customer base, how does US Bank view people with disabilities?

TINA FOSTER: At US Bank, we value every customer and we have a very diverse customer base. Our geographic coverage of this area is excellent – far more extensive than any of our competitors. With branches and ATMs we are in every single market area and the very diverse populations that are present in them. Because we value every customer, we try to do things that will help to effectively serve each customer. For example, we have a large Hispanic market in certain neighborhoods and we try to have Spanish-speaking employees in those branches.

We know that customers with disabilities are all throughout our market, so we have tried to do our very best to make sure that our branches are extremely accessible. With access ramps, automatic doors, teller windows that are at sit-down levels and similar features, we want every customer to have easy access to our branches and products and services.
 

RANDY ADEN: Prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, US Bank branches already had many features, such as wheelchair ramps, to make them accessible to customers with disabilities. When the ADA was passed, we upgraded all of our facilities to meet those new standards. For a time, we had staff positions designated for this specific purpose. We ensured that all of our facilities had any required ramps, adjustments to door resistance, designated parking spaces and related accessibility standards .Those upgrades were made over a period of about two years. Since then, we continue to keep all of our properties in line with ADA standards. Sometimes we will also go beyond those requirements to meet the needs of our customers. For instance, while the ADA doesn’t require automatic doors, we will install them if a Branch Manager determines that enough of their customers would benefit from them.

OBLN: How do you deal with accessibility issues as a matter of policy & practice?

RANDY ADEN: All of our Facility Managers are trained on ADA requirements and they ensure that our sites and facilities meet those standards.

OBLN: What are they key accessibility features that are evident in your retail branch sites?

RANDY ADEN: In addition to the obvious access features like parking spaces, ramping and door openings, many of our Branches also have Teller stations that are lower or desks that are suitable for handling transactions with customers who use wheelchairs. Our ATMs are installed at a height that can be used comfortably by customers who use wheelchairs and they also have accessibility features like Braille in the keypads.

Sometimes too, we make adaptations to our facilities to meet the needs of our employees with disabilities. Recently, for instance, for a Branch Manager who uses a wheelchair, we made the main floor washroom accessible.
 

TINA FOSTER: As part of our two-day new employee orientation, each employee goes through a three-hour diversity training session. Encompassed within that is training about consumers with disabilities and how to work best with them. This training includes basic etiquette and accommodation issues.
 

At one branch, a customer who uses a wheelchair arrives regularly on the third day of each month. She is dropped off by a TriMet Van. Occasionally she is dropped off before the Branch opens, but they open the door and welcome her anyway. One of the Branch’s Tellers personally handles the woman’s account. She works with the customer on all her accounts and gets money orders to settle all of her bills. In addition, she helps her sort through some mail order catalogs and make many of her monthly purchases - everything from stationary to shoes and other personal items. Typically this Teller spends an hour and half with this customer, but the Bank’s customer service doesn’t stop at the door. When they are done, the Teller pushes the customer over to Albertsons to do her grocery shopping, or pushes her over to the UPS store to check her mail and send her packages.

A second Branch reported that, recently, the wife of a disabled veteran needed to be added to his account because he was going to the Veterans Hospital for surgery. She explained to the Teller that her husband was in the car outside but was unable to come into the Branch. The Teller took the necessary documents out to the car to get the man’s confirmation and signatures. This type of scenario has happened on more than one occasion.

The Manager of a third Branch reported the following: “We have a customer who is disabled and can not come into the branch. Recently her husband who is 92 years old was involved in a very serious car accident and had to be placed in an assisted living facility. Up until then, he had done all their banking, so Karen (a Teller) and I now go to her house and help her with all her banking needs. She is an incredible women and it has been a wonderful experience working with her.”
 

TINA FOSTER: US Bank has several outstanding employees with disabilities. One of our very successful Branch Managers used a wheelchair. He did a fantastic job for us. He has since moved up to the Seattle market, where he is still doing a fantastic job. Many of our tellers have some type of disability. One that comes to mind has only one hand - and still does a fantastic job as a teller. We definitely embrace folks with disabilities and welcome them if they can meet the job requirements.

OBLN: Tina, based on the US Bank experience, can you offer any advice to other companies as to how they might best meet the customer service needs of people with disabilities?

TINA FOSTER: Companies that aren’t willingly embracing customers with disabilities are missing out on a very important segment of the population. Also, as our population ages, more and more people are acquiring disabilities and needing assistance. It really is becoming increasingly important for all companies to provide accommodations that make it easy for people with disabilities to navigate their properties and services.

At the 2005 Conference of the US Business Leadership Network, held in November in Pittsburg, PA, the Oregon Business Leadership Network (OBLN) was awarded an Exceptional Leadership Award. The OBLN and the Miami Dade BLN shared recognition for the Chapter of the Year award. Lucy Baker was present to accept the award on behalf of the OBLN.

The award was presented by US BLN Board member, Michelle Maybaum of Qualcomm. In her remarks, Ms Maybaum cited the key achievements that led the USBLN to bestow this honor on the OBLN:

“The Oregon BLN incorporated as a statewide 501(c)3 organization in June 2004 with Portland’s largest private employer, Oregon Health Sciences University, serving as the Lead Employer. The Oregon BLN has been very busy during its first 15 months of operation. In addition to the quarterly employer forums, the Oregon BLN has created a number of valuable resources for businesses.

They established a resource website (www.obln.org) to serve as a comprehensive resource and teaching site for employers regarding disability in the workplace and the marketplace. The website includes a downloadable FlexAbility Manual that was created by the Oregon BLN in partnership with the Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Services and area disability experts.

They have also established a monthly e-newsletter featuring interviews of Oregon leaders on successful models, viewpoints, and messages around disability, as well as useful resources and workforce information.

The Oregon BLN crafted the “Oregon Business Case for Inclusion” with the primary message that Oregon employers need to view accommodation as a business strategy for competitiveness around attracting and maintaining a skilled workforce. The Oregon BLN hosted a CEO Forum around this concept and had business and government leaders representing over 100,000 employees in attendance. The business case was also printed and is being distributed to state legislators and business leaders statewide.

In addition to creating resources, the Oregon BLN has been working on spreading the word regarding the benefits of hiring people with disabilities. They successfully proposed that “Accommodation as a Business Strategy” be added to the Oregon Business Plan. The Oregon Business Plan is developed jointly by the Oregon Business Council (consisting of publicly traded companies), Congressional leaders, and the Governor’s office and identifies key elements to successful economic development and business climate in the state. They are also working to expand the BLN outside the Portand area by hosting an Employer Forum in Salem and making plans to host future events in Medford, Eugene, Bend and Pendleton.”
 

In the month of October, hundreds of companies, large and small, throughout the country opened their workplaces to people with disabilities – participating in exchanges of information and experiences that set the stage for greater workplace opportunities for people with disabilities. Companies who open their doors on Disability Mentoring Day expose people with disabilities to valuable insight into career options and workplace realities. At the same time, they expose their own employees to the skills and enthusiasm of workers who, as a group, are too often underrated. Wal-Mart, TriMet, Nike and CBC Construction were four of the companies that opened their doors to Disability Mentoring Day activities here in Oregon.
 

Selaina Miller is the Employer Program Coordinator for the Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and took a lead role for the State in organizing 2005 Mentoring Day activities.

OBLN: Selaina, I understand that you were instrumental in coordinating several Mentoring Day activities here in Oregon. Could you explain who was involved in these activities and where they took place?

SELAINA MILLER: We had Mentoring Day activities in both Salem and Portland areas. Let me first tell you about what we did in the Salem area. We worked with both the Salem-Keizer School District and the Cascade School District in Turner. In addition to their actual visits to companies, I made arrangements for all the students, along with their teachers, to come to a luncheon meeting at the State Capitol Building on October 19. We were welcomed by Secretary of State Bill Bradbury who also shared some of his experiences as a person with a disability, his job, and his accommodations. The Olive Garden in Salem provided us all with a complimentary lunch.

The Salem-Keizer School District Youth Transition Program students were interested in exploring Building Trades careers, so I made a connection with CBC Construction - a local-area company. We arranged for five students to visit CBC. The students were given an overview of the company and a tour of the site. They also met with one of the owners of the company who has a disability himself. Scott Miranda, the contractor, was really pleased with the experience and is intending to hire some of the students on a part-time basis to assist with general labor functions.

The Cascade School District is located in Turner – just 10 miles southeast of Salem. On October 19, sixteen students with disabilities toured the new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Turner Road. That store was chosen because of the variety of different jobs and opportunities that it has - and the flexible working hours that it offers.

OBLN: So, in both cases, the students received a general overview of the company they were visiting – plus a more hands-on tour of the business itself?

SELAINA MILLER: Yes, and the same thing took place in Portland.

Centennial High School in Gresham also has a Youth Transition Program and their students wanted to participate in a Mentoring Day activity. I contacted TriMet and was able to set up a tour of one of their facilities. On the morning of October 19, the students rode TriMet busses from Centennial High School to the TriMet site. There, they were shown safety equipment and given overview of what it is like to work for TriMet. This was followed by a tour where they were able to speak to some of the mechanics. TriMet also provided the school with a list of entry-level positions, qualifications, wages and related information for someone who might want to work there.

OBLN: Employing over 2500 people, TriMet is a municipal corporation that provides public transportation for 575 square miles within the three counties in the Portland municipal area. Clayton Thompson, TriMet’s Marketing Programs Coordinator, organized the Mentoring Day tour. Clay had this to share with us:

CLAYTON THOMPSON: The Mentoring Day is something that we have participated in before. This year, the tour request came through Selaina Miller. She put us in touch with the group from Centennial High School. There were about 20 students that came through – two separate groups of ten. I greeted the students here at our Center Street office and then introduced them to Greg Haley, our Maintenance Manager, who conducted them on a tour of our Center Street yard.

Since we are a service organization, we wanted to give them a good look at our primary function – which is servicing the community with transit. The tour showed them most of our maintenance facilities. The students saw the actual types of service vehicles that we have and the people that work on them. They were able to see where all our bus vehicles are parked and the twenty or so installation bays where we actually do maintenance on the vehicles.

TriMet is an equal opportunity employer and seeks qualified applicants from all parts of the community. We welcomed the opportunity to host this event.

OBLN: Selaina, this year’s Disability Mentoring Day was seemingly a great experience for the students involved. Do you have any final comments that you would like to pass along to our readers?

SELAINA MILLER: The National Disability Mentoring Day is designed to promote career exploration for students with disabilities by learning about the different jobs available within the local business. The activities this year helped build stronger connection with local businesses, generate part time employment opportunities, and enabled students to meet adult role models. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services funds Youth Transition Projects statewide and we anticipate increased level of participation next year. I wish to express my appreciation to the businesses and all that were involved in making this a great experience.
 

Patricia Kepler is an Independent Living Specialist with Independent Living Resources (ILR) in Portland. Patricia had the lead role in organizing ILR’s 2005 Disability Mentoring Day activities.

OBLN: Patricia, I understand that you worked with Nike to arrange a Disability Mentoring Day activity in the Portland area. What can you tell us about it?

PATRICIA KEPLER: This is the third year that Nike has done Mentoring Day with us. It has become an annual event. I first contacted Jane Stackhouse with Nike’s disAbled Employee Network, to set a date and to begin preparing for the day. Then I contacted the schools, VR counselors, the Commission for The Blind, and other organizations to see if they had anybody who might be interested in shadowing a Nike employee for a day.

In the end, there were 24 participants. Some were high school students and others were work-ready adults. We had hoped for more than twenty-four and Nike was willing to have more participate, but the weather and other factors limited this year’s participation to twenty-four Mentees.

OBLN: How did Nike select their mentors?

PATRICIA KEPLER: Nike sent out memos to the heads of all departments explaining the event and asking for volunteers. Where a Mentee had a particular career interest, we sought out a volunteer Mentor with that specific type of job.

In fact we had one high school student who was very interested in Day Care – so she shadowed someone who worked at the Day Care program at Nike. I understand from her teacher that she now has a possible Internship opportunity arising from that experience.

OBLN: What would the day have looked like for the Mentees?

PATRICIA KEPLER: Early that morning, everyone met at the Nike campus. They first got an overview of what it was like to work for Nike. We then matched up the Mentees with their Mentors and, as pairs, went off together for a couple of hours. The Mentees observed the Mentors at work, asked questions, and generally got to know a lot about their Mentor’s job. Many of them were introduced to other staff as well. Finally, at noon, we all met together for lunch – and another presentation from Nike.

OBLN: It sounds like the Mentees must have had a great experience in learning about the work world at Nike and some of the opportunities that exist for them.

PATRICIA KEPLER: Yes, there has been very positive feedback from both Nike and all the Mentees. The teachers report that the kids come away from this day with really positive outlooks for their future. They are always asking me; “Are there other businesses that we can do something like this with?”

(Patricia put us in touch with Jane Stackhouse who is a Senior Trainer in Nike’s Global HR Operations and was instrumental in supporting Nike’s participation.)

OBLN: Jane, I understand that this is Nike’s third year of involvement with Disability Mentoring Day. What can you tell me about it?

JANE STACKHOUSE: As part of our Global Diversity Program, Nike supports six employee diversity groups that we call “Networks”. One of these is our disAbled Employee Network. This group sponsors Disability Mentoring Day. They organize it, promote it, and support it as a voluntary activity.

We did a job shadow day in three locations this year. We had a large group at our world headquarters in Oregon. We also had three people at our distribution center in Wilsonville. Earlier in October, our distribution center in Memphis hosted nine people for a Mentoring Day.

At our world headquarters everyone got together for a half hour in the morning with a welcome from our Vice President of Global Human Resources, Wes Coleman. The mentees were then paired with Nike employees and spent some time viewing the job sites and touring campus to get a better idea of what it is like to work here. This was followed by lunch at which people from our Staffing department spoke about how to build a resume and how to apply for positions online at www.nikebiz.com. 

OBLN: Jane, from what you are telling me, Nike is obviously a big supporter of Disability Mentoring Day. Why is this?

JANE STACKHOUSE: Nike is interested in all aspects of diversity - including people with different abilities. The mission of the disAbled Employee Network is to add value to Nike and the communities that we operate in by promoting the inclusion of employees with disabilities. Disability Mentoring Day gives people with disabilities the opportunity to come to see Nike and learn more about the kinds of jobs we have. It also gives our employees and managers an opportunity to recognize some of the outstanding capabilities that these people have.

OBLN: Would you have any recommendations for other employers that might be interested in participating in Disability Mentoring Day?

JANE STACKHOUSE: In the past, we have had a mix of high school students and adult job seekers with disabilities. We now recognize that those two groups have different interests in coming here. In the future, we plan to conduct separate programs for each group. For the high school students we will have a broader overview of Nike culture and various job opportunities. For the adult job seekers and college students we want to be able to focus more on their individual career interests and recommend ways they can begin to network in that area.
 

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