Schiela Peña does not shy away from a challenge.
If fact, you could say Peña thrives with change. Rather than just accepting and adapting to new opportunities, she enthusiastically seeks them out with a “zero to 60 in six seconds” approach.
Nine months into her role as Disability Services and Outreach manager, Peña has launched successful programs, raised awareness internally and externally and solidified community partnerships across the bank’s footprint. And she’s just getting started.
As Regions Bank commemorates the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, Peña and associates across the organization are celebrating successful programs and initiatives and looking ahead for additional opportunities to enhance service to the disability community.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was enacted in 1990 to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in all aspects of public life.
Regions is a proud supporter of this important law that makes life better for people with disabilities. In her role as Disability Services and Outreach manager, Peña is dedicated to not just complying with the ADA but ensuring that people with disabilities have access to all Regions’ products and services and are able to bank independently and on their own terms.
Peña works to secure community partnerships with nonprofits serving people with disabilities across the bank’s footprint, advise bank leadership about accessible products and services, and promote an ADA-friendly environment for customers visiting Regions Bank branches.
I’m excited about our holistic approach to disability services and I am humbled to be in this role.Schiela Peña, Disability Services and Outreach manager at Regions
More than one in four – over 70 million – adults in the U.S. reported having a disability in 2022. This group includes people with hearing, vision, cognitive, walking, self-care or independent living difficulties.
“Regions makes a practice of focusing on clients with disabilities,” Peña said. “We have inclusive programs, innovative community partnerships and resources and an ADA Advisory Council to make sure we’re doing the best we can to serve our clients and community. I’m excited about our holistic approach to disability services and I am humbled to be in this role.”
Building Relationships
Peña’s first order of business focused on relationship building. It was important for her to get out into the community and visit organizations throughout the bank’s footprint whose mission is to support people with disabilities. But this outreach wasn’t just with community partners. Peña has also spent time in Regions branches and facilities to get to know bankers and remind them about the services that Regions provides for the disability community.
Peña worked closely with Corporate Marketing and Communications to create an easy-to-share Banking for Everyone flyer that lists all the services that Regions provides to customers, including quiet areas in every branch to assist autistic and neurodivergent customers, Braille and large-print documents, professional sign language interpreters, accessible online and mobile banking and more. Peña has also collaborated with Digital Banking teams to ensure that relevant information about those services is easily accessible on Regions.com.
Pouring Passion into Programs
In April, Peña directed a very successful Autism Awareness Month campaign at Regions, which included hosting an event at Regions Center in Birmingham with Nadia Hamilton, founder of Magnusmode, a software company that provides tools to help neurodivergent people live independently. Regions collaborated with the company to create the Regions MagnusCards app, which provides visual, audio and step-by-step instructions for bank transactions.
Peña also coordinated with Regions Impact Networks across the bank’s footprint to organize volunteer activities in which associates assembled more than 1,000 autism sensory packs. Regions sensory packs include a stress ball, fidget cubes, sunglasses and noise-canceling earbuds that assist customers who may experience sensory episodes due to noise, lights and other factors. The packs were delivered to local community organizations and to Regions branches.
In May, the Regions team hosted a successful adaptive golf clinic at the Regions Tradition. Regions, United Ability and the PGA Champions Tour coordinate the annual golf clinic for people with disabilities, and this year more than a dozen golfers received guidance from local golf pros and volunteers.
Delivering Specialized Guidance
Along with events that promote education and awareness, another key part of Regions’ commitment to serving people with disabilities is delivering tailored financial wellness information. The Community Engagement Financial Education team works with nonprofits across the bank’s footprint to deliver Regions Next Step® Money Basics for Life curriculum, which was developed for the unique needs of people with disabilities.
This work is ongoing throughout the year, but the team is excited about a special new community partnership in which Regions is collaborating with Disability Rights and Resources, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Project SEARCH.
In the coming weeks, Regions Financial Education Trainer Keren Treme will be delivering Money Basics for Life instruction to developmentally disabled high school students who are seeking internship opportunities at UAB hospital. The first session will be focused on budgeting and saving, and in a follow-up session students will participate in real-life budget simulations.
Along with the dedicated Regions Financial Education instructors, the bank also has specially trained associates, Next Step Ambassadors, who regularly deliver Regions Next Step education on a volunteer basis throughout the bank’s footprint.
Little Rock Branch Manager Michelle Rogers, a Regions Next Step Ambassador, is a passionate supporter of Pathfinder, an organization dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities enjoy total access to community life. Rogers leverages the Money Basics for Life curriculum to deliver weekly financial wellness sessions at the facility.
“Financial wellness is a big passion of mine,” Rogers said. “Financial matters can be overwhelming for anyone, and being able to provide basic financial skills to people that are often overlooked is even more rewarding.”
Financial matters can be overwhelming for anyone, and being able to provide basic financial skills to people that are often overlooked is even more rewarding.
Michelle Rogers, Little Rock Branch Manager and a Regions Next Step Ambassador
“Every Tuesday when I walk to the classroom, clients that have completed the program can’t wait to come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed the class or about the progress they are making.”
A related initiative that is near and dear to Peña’s heart is the branch visits that are part of some Money Basics for Life programs. Peña and Regions branch leaders work with community organizations to organize visits to bank branches so that people with disabilities can tour the facility, meet the team and better understand how banks work and become comfortable making transactions. The visits bring to life the lessons students learn in the financial education curriculum.
“Money and finances can be intimidating for many people in our community,” Peña said. “No matter what their readiness level is, we want to make sure people feel seen, included, and we are prepared to meet them where they are.”
Helping Provide Basic Needs
The Regions Foundation is also doing its part to make life better – and more accessible – for people in the community. The Regions Foundation is a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank and supports community investments that positively impact communities served by the bank.
The foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on economic and community development, education and workforce readiness, and financial wellness.
The Regions Foundation recently awarded a $150,000 grant to support the construction of affordable, inclusive housing in Birmingham, Ala., that prioritizes accessibility and integration for people with disabilities. The Kelsey Avondale focuses on providing a mix of affordable and market-rate units with features like universal design and on-site support services to meet diverse needs. The project’s mission is to foster a community “where people with and without disabilities can live together in an environment designed for dignity, autonomy, and affordability.”
“Affordable housing is crucial for people with disabilities because it directly impacts their independence, health, safety and quality of life,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation. “The Regions Foundation is pleased to help provide safe, secure, affordable housing that benefits individuals and families and strengthens our communities.”
Advocating and Raising Awareness
Peña is pleased with all the short-term successes of the Disability Services and Outreach program but is not taking her foot off the gas.
“July is the 35th anniversary of the ADA and also Disability Pride Month,” she said. “It’s the perfect time to reflect on our accomplishments as a bank and renew our commitment to continuous improvement when it comes to serving our customers and community members with disabilities.”
It’s the perfect time to reflect on our accomplishments as a bank and renew our commitment to continuous improvement when it comes to serving our customers and community members with disabilities.
Schiela Peña
One project Peña is working on now is the implementation of branch toolkits in all Regions facilities, which will be implemented later this year. The kits include resources for the visually impaired, such as having account opening materials, applications, disclosures and other documentation available in Braille.
“I’m also excited about more outreach in our communities — continuing to share the good news about Regions’ programs and offerings that make banking easier, and make life better, for people with disabilities.”