Project Nemo

Event Recap: Creating Accessible Payments for All - Watch the Highlights On the 6th December Project Nemo and Kathryn Townsend, the Government Ambassador for Disability and Accessibility for the banking sector, hosted an event focused on the provision of safe payments options for people with learning disabilities. The event brought together banks, fintechs, trade bodies, regulators, and interest groups, alongside individuals with lived experience, to gain first-hand insight into the challenges they face with digital payments and rally the financial services community to collaborate on finding effective solutions. This short, two minute film, captures some of the energy and urgency in the room. We have been busy planning next steps and plan to kick off the identified workstreams in January 2025. To learn more, please drop us a line: [email protected] Thank you to Amar Hayer and Changemaker Studios for the production of this film and capturing the event so beautifully. #TacklingFinancialExclusion #LearningDisabilities #Fintech #ThinkAccessibility #ProjectNemo ID: a two minute event recap video showing the attendees at the event moving around in the networking area and also sitting down in the main conference space listening to, and participating in, the discussion.  You can also see footage of Sildo polls and information being captured on whiteboards.

We are excited to share the latest episode of our Project Nemo Disability Stories, following its launch at our in-person event, Tackling Financial Exclusion for People with Learning Disabilities, last week. Topping up Independence - Chloe’s story Catherine Ann Reid shares the story of her daughter Chloe, a 22 year old girl with Cohen syndrome - a rare genetic condition which leaves her with severe learning disabilities, autism, vision loss and three major surgeries which broke and rebuilt her bones. She needs full time care but that doesn’t stop Chloe being a light in every room she enters. Through specialist education, Chloe has developed far beyond anyone’s imagination and has recently finished a three-year course at Henley College and enjoys working at a doggy day care centre. Chloe doesn’t fully understand money, she just wants to pay for her lunch like her friends do and not feel like the odd one out. Fewer places accept cash leaving Chloe without any secure means to pay, meaning she loses the opportunity to build the independence she deserves. Jackie O'Sullivan, Executive Director of Strategy and Influence at Mencap, echoes Catherine Anne’s sentiments and highlights the struggles and barriers faced by the 1.5 million people with learning disabilities in the UK when it comes to accessing their finances. If only Chloe, and others like her, could have access to a simple payment card designed specifically for people with learning disabilities, one that also teaches them how to use it. Such a card would mean greater empowerment and independence for all. Is your business making its products and services accessible all the way through your customer journeys? Involving people from the disability community in product design could lead to more inclusive and accessible services, benefiting customers like Chloe and many others. Please help us to share Chloe’s story and message by engaging, commenting and sharing this film with your network and colleagues. Huge thanks to Chloe and Catherine Ann for letting us share your story, and to Mencap for contributing your insights.  And, as always, massive thanks to the brilliant Amar Hayer and Changemaker Studios for the production of this film. Video Description: A short film showing Chloe doing jobs and having fun at home with her mum Catherine Ann.   We also see Chloe at college,  working at the doggy daycare and making a payment at a local shop with her mum's bank card. The video also includes a short interview clip with Jackie O’Sullivan from Mencap. #DisabilityStories #DisabilityInclusion

If there was ever an event that has the potential to reshape an entire industry, it was this one! A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Tackling Financial Exclusion for People with Learning Disabilities event last week. Key stakeholders from across the industry – including banks, Fintechs, third-sector organisations, lived experience advocates, regulators, trade associations, charities and policy experts – gathered at Nationwide's HQ in London.  The focus: improving payment options for people with intellectual and learning disabilities, as well as their families and carers, to create greater choice and independence.  Key Highlights: 🎤 Joanne Dewar from Project Nemo and Kathryn Townsend, Government Disability & Access Ambassador for Banking, opened the day with powerful remarks, reminding us why change in this area is so vital.  🎥 Rt Hon. Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability voiced the government’s support telling us that ‘we have to tackle financial exclusion if we are to allow everybody full participation in society as we must’. 🎬 Lived experience stories were shared through film, including the launch of Chloe’s story (look out for this later this week!) providing powerful and moving insights into the real challenges faced by individuals in managing their money and the concerns of their loved ones.  We were also privileged to have Chloe, her mum Catherine Ann Reid, and others join the session in person. 📊 Madeline Rose from Mencap shed light on payment trends that can disadvantage the 1.5 million people in the UK with learning disabilities, including the shift from cash to card and the challenges of unattended terminals. 💬 Matt Robinson, Chair of the Third Party Access and Mental Capacity Working Group, set the stage for a thought-provoking discussion, highlighting the macro level gaps and challenges in financial services when it comes to intellectual disability. The rest of the day was filled with collaborative energy, as leaders and advocates worked together to identify barriers, prioritise needs, and shape actionable next steps.  Key takeaway: We already have the technology, knowledge, and expertise to drive change. Now, it’s time to act or ‘crack on’ as we heard on Friday!  The real work begins here—and we’re committed to making lasting, tangible progress. There was a strong commitment in the room to move forward with the workstreams identified during the event. Watch this space! A huge thank you to Amar Hayer and the team at Changemaker Studios for their exceptional work in bringing lived experiences to life. And of course, a big thank you to Nationwide Building Society for providing the perfect venue. Let’s continue this journey together. 💪 #TacklingFinancialExclusion #FinTech #DisabilityInclusion #ThinkAccessibility #LearningDisabilities #ProjectNemo ID: a selection of photos showing the speakers and a group of attendees in the Nationwide event space, 1 Threadneedle Street.

Don't miss out on our new year free training programme - Unlocking Disability Confidence. We’re thrilled to be once again partnering with disabled inclusive talent specialist and DEI educator Cressida Stephenson to deliver another fantastic, and totally free, training programme helping fintechs understand how they can make their workplace more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. The next programme starts Thursday 16 January, with 9 weekly webinars exploring different aspects of accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. It’s the perfect opportunity to get started and gain valuable insights, guidance and resources. 'Unlocking Disability Confidence' is designed to help organisations: ✅ Attract and onboard diverse talent ✅ Embed accessibility as a strategic advantage ✅ Create hiring processes that meet the needs of the future workforce What You’ll Gain: ✅ Practical strategies for recruiting, assessing and retaining disabled and neurodiverse talent ✅ Insights into the Disability Confident Scheme and how to get accredited ✅ Best practices for accessibility in job descriptions, websites, and workplace adjustments ✅ Insights into the future of inclusive hiring, including gamification and neuroinclusive assessments ✅ Tips for creating more accessible products and services Representation of Disabled and Neurodivergent individuals is set to grow, and with more than 70% of Gen Alpha expected to identify as neurodivergent, organisations must evolve to remain competitive and meet the needs of the future workforce. Programme Agenda: Week 1 (16th Jan): Introduction to the Disability Confident Scheme Week 2 (23rd Jan): Neurodiversity Awareness Training Week 3 (30th Jan): Disability Awareness Training Week 4 (6th Feb): ACCESS IS GRANTED: SPECIAL PANEL DISCUSSION Featuring David Agar BankAbility, Nikki Paul Project Nemo and Paul Bepey Deloitte. Week 5 (13th Feb): Neuro-Inclusive Interview Best Practices Week 6 (20th Feb): How to Recruit Disabled Candidates Week 7 (27th Feb): How to Create Inclusive Job Descriptions Week 8 (6th Mar): How to Assess Neurodivergent and Disabled Candidates Fairly Week 9 (13th Mar): Gamification of Assessments With 29 years in recruitment and search, 10 years as a DEI educator, and personal lived experience with Disability and Neurodivergence, Cressida’s expertise and unique insights will help you tap into tomorrow’s talent. Inclusive workplaces drive innovation, improve employee retention, and fuel sustainable growth, so ensure your organisation is set up for success. Sign up for our Jan 25 programme today – places are limited so don’t delay. #DisabilityInclusion #DisabilityConfident #Inclusion ID: Training banner with logos for Project Nemo, Disability Confidence Scheme and Eden Chase. Text reads: ‘Unlocking Disability Confidence. Jan 2025 Cohort Launch. Free online workshop series 16 Jan - 6 Mar. Registrations now open. Instructor Cressida Stephenson.’ With a headshot of Cressida.

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), observed annually on December 3rd. The day is a day not just for the disabled community, but an opportunity for everyone to reflect and consider how we can work to build a more inclusive and equitable society. This year’s theme is "Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future." This theme recognizes the vital role that people with disabilities play in creating a more inclusive and sustainable world, and the importance of ensuring the disabled community are fully involved and central to the decision-making processes that affect their lives.    The theme highlights why it is so important for fintechs to ensure they have representation from the disabled community in their business and include their voices when designing products and services to ensure they are truly accessible Today should be a day to reflect on how we can listen better and create space for voices that often go unheard. What can you do to learn from and help amplify more disabled voices? Follow and connect with disabled thought-leaders and organisations such as Dr Shani Dhanda, Celia Chartres-Aris (née Hensman), Isaac Harvey MBE, Kris Foster Purple Tuesday Valuable 500 Follow and engage with Project Nemo, and share our content with your community and business: ✅ Our Disability Stories film series (available on our website and YouTube channel) tells the unique stories of lived experience, bringing to life day to day challenges in using products and services that were not designed with disability needs in mind. ✅ Our Project Nemo Accessible Finance podcasts (available on all major podcast platforms) talk with disability and fintech experts, diving into different elements of disability inclusion, from inclusive workspaces and inclusive products and services, to legal and regulatory requirements and how we measure progress. Make today the day you add more disabled voices to your news feed and consider how you can support the leadership of people with disabilities to build a fairer, more inclusive world for all. ID: IDPD banner with a colourful circular logo of long abstract arms surrounding a blue dot and the words International Day of Persons with Disabilities - 3 December #DisabilityDay  #IDPD  #EveryoneIncluded

Fighting to hear. This is Seema’s Story, the next in our Disability Stories film series. Seema Mistry lost her hearing suddenly, due to Cogan syndrome. This compelling film highlights how hearing loss affects her, and the barriers faced when products and services are not designed with accessibility in mind. Seema has a successful career in the financial services sector, but as a banking customer with hearing difficulties, she can face challenges using banking apps when voice calls are required for support. Inclusive design features, such as video captioning and text-based support could vastly improve access yet are rarely available. 18 million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss.  That’s around 1 in 3 people, and the numbers increase significantly as people age. Natasha Robinson, Policy Advisor The Royal National Institute For Deaf People highlights that as more bank branches close, fintechs and digital banking must consider the needs of those with hearing loss. Is your business thinking enough about different accessibility needs? Involving people from the disability community in product design could make services more accessible and inclusive and be invaluable to customers like Seema. Financial services should work for everyone, regardless of their hearing level. Please help us to share Seema’s story and message by engaging, commenting and sharing this film with your network and colleagues. Huge thanks to Seema Mistry for letting us share your story, and Natasha Robinson at RNID for contributing your insights.  And, as always, massive thanks to the brilliant Amar Hayer and Changemaker Studios for the production of this film. Video Description: A short film showing Seema as she travels around London and interacting with financial services. Seema talks about how her hearing loss affects her daily life and accessing products and services. The film also includes short interview clips with Seema’s mum and Natasha Robinson from the RNID. #DisabilityStories #DisabilityInclusion

Inclusion starts with understanding. Shaping a fairer, more accessible world starts with understanding the stories of people with lived experience of disability. Project Nemo’s ‘Disability Stories’ series aims to bring to life these stories, identifying barriers faced daily and helping fintechs design solutions that truly work for everyone. This week, we’ll be launching the next film in this series - Seema’s Story. Seema Mistry has a successful career in financial services, but as a banking customer with hearing difficulties, she highlights some of the challenges she faces accessing elements of mobile banking. Seema’s Story will be launched here tomorrow. In the meantime, you can access all of the films in the series on our youtube channel https://lnkd.in/e736Avt3 and Project Nemo website https://projectnemo.co.uk ID: Close up image of someone adjusting their hearing aid, blending into a purple wash of colour behind a quote from the film "Financial services should work for every customer, regardless of their hearing level". With the logos for Project Nemo and RNID #DisabilityStories #Inclusion #RNID

Absolutely thrilled to see the incredible Celia Chartres-Aris (née Hensman) take the no 1 spot in the 2024 Disability Power 100 last night! Huge congratulations Celia from all at Project Nemo! The Shaw Trust list recognises the most influential disabled people in the UK each year at a purple-carpet awards event celebrating impact, influence and innovation. Celia is an absolutely deserving winner. She is a true change-maker, working tirelessly to deliver positive impact and improvement of Disability equity, accessibility and inclusivity. A multi-award-winning Disabled Government special advisor, campaigner and lobbyist, researcher, policy and legal expert, founder and investor, she has been instrumental in driving disability policy and legislative design, collaborating with international governments and leading pioneering research. Please do follow Celia Chartres-Aris (née Hensman) linkedin page to stay up to date on all of her incredible work and impact. You can also hear more from Celia in episode 3 of our Project Nemo Accessible Finance podcast, where she talks about ableism, tokenism and how policy and advocacy are fundamental to driving lasting change as it relates to Disability Inclusion. Listen to the episode https://lnkd.in/eVm2N3ns, or available on all major platforms. Congratulations Celia, and we can't wait to see what comes next! ID: Celia proudly giving her acceptance speech at the awards. She is dressed in a sparkly white top and long flowing white skirt, standing on stage in front of a purple backdrop and behind a plinth with the words Shaw Trust Disability Power 100.

Breaking Barriers Following yesterday’s Purple Tuesday, a day celebrating disability and encouraging us all to #ThinkAccessibility, we’re really excited to launch the next episode of our Project Nemo Disability Stories film series. This is Isaac’s story. Isaac Harvey MBE is a powerful voice for the disability community and was awarded an MBE for his advocacy work. You may even have seen him in a segment on BBC breakfast yesterday! ‘Isaac’s story’ brings you into his life, showcasing his strength of spirit and passion for adventure, extreme sports and new experiences. Isaac also highlights accessibility barriers he encounters in using fintech apps and services and some of the techniques he uses to overcome them. 16 million people in the UK are living with a disability. You have many more customers with disabilities than you realise. Isaac’s story needs to be heard. With today’s technology, financial services shouldn’t be a struggle. Together as an industry we can catch up to make Isaac’s hope a reality and “develop solutions that work for all of us”. Please watch the film and help us to spread Isaac’s story far and wide by commenting, liking and sharing with your network and colleagues. Huge thanks to Isaac Harvey MBE for letting us share his story, to Diane Lightfoot Business Disability Forum for her input and Amar Hayer Changemaker Studios for the production. Video Description: A 3 minute short film with Isaac talking about his daily life, including footage from activities at home, with family and friends, participating in extreme sports, modelling at London Fashion Week and accessing fintech products and services. #ThinkAccessibility #DisabilityInclusion

It was fantastic to be at Piccadilly Circus early this morning for Purple Tuesday’s takeover of the Piccadilly Lights, turning them purple for disability. Purple Tuesday is a global initiative dedicated to improving accessibility and the disabled customer experience. This year the focus is #ThinkAccessibility, sending the message that inclusion and accessibility matters, and challenging businesses to consider the experience of disabled customers at all points of the customer journey. There are 1.3 billion disabled people in the world, that’s 17% of the population. Is your business unintentionally excluding them through inaccessible products and services? Today was a powerful reminder that together we can make an impact. But the accessibility and inclusion message must stretch far beyond a single day. As an industry we must remember that technology can include or exclude. We need to come together to push for real and continued action, creating products and services that are fully inclusive for all. Its too important to say ‘its someone else’s job.’ It’s on all of us. Congrats to Mike Adams, Charlene Overend and all the Purple Tuesday team for a fantastic purple takeover and the movement’s continued impact. Let’s all #ThinkAccessibility. ID: 7 members of the Project Nemo and Purple Tuesday teams, all wearing different shades of purple clothing, standing together smiling broadly in front of the standout purple Piccadilly Circus lights asking people to - Think accessibility, see accessibility, share accessibility