She makes the following recommendations to “help to enhance the financial wellbeing of disabled people":
- Accessibility Standards and Compliance - Financial institutions should be made to adhere to and enforce accessibility standards, ensuring both physical locations and digital platforms are fully accessible to disabled people.
- Education and Awareness - Promote financial education and awareness programmes specifically tailored to disabled people. These programmes should cover topics such as budgeting, savings, debt management, and financial planning, delivered in accessible formats and languages.
- Inclusive Product Design - Design and offer financial products and services that cater to the unique needs of disabled people. This might include low-fee accounts, affordable loans for assistive technology, and accessible online banking services.
- Inclusive Hiring Practices - Financial institutions can actively hire individuals with disabilities, creating a more inclusive and empathetic work environment. This can help ensure that the needs of disabled customers are understood and addressed.
- Empowerment Programmes - Develop empowerment programs that help disabled people access vocational training, job placement services, and entrepreneurship support, enabling them to generate income and achieve financial independence.
According to Brown: "These changes can collectively help break down barriers, empower disabled people, and promote their financial wellbeing.”
Compounded challenges
Brown also believes that disabled women often face compounded challenges that can have a significant impact on their financial wellbeing.
Several factors contribute to the financial vulnerability of disabled women. Brown points to the gender pay gap, where limited employment opportunities caused by discrimination, stereotypes, and biases can limit employment opportunities for disabled women.
They may face challenges in finding and maintaining stable employment.
Caregiving responsibilities are another common factor; women are often the primary caregivers for family members with disabilities, further impacting their ability to work and earn income. Balancing caregiving responsibilities with paid work can be challenging.
To help disabled women improve their financial wellbeing, Brown says the following may help:
- Promote inclusive hiring practices and reasonable accommodations to ensure that women with disabilities have access to a wide range of job opportunities.
- Develop and provide accessible education and training programs that equip disabled women with skills and knowledge to pursue careers in various fields.
- Offer financial literacy programmes specifically designed for disabled women, covering topics like budgeting, saving, investing, and financial planning.
- Implement policies and programmes that offer affordable and accessible childcare options and respite care services to help disabled women balance caregiving responsibilities with employment.
- Create mentorship programmes and networking opportunities that connect disabled women to successful role models and peers who can provide guidance and support.
- Develop empowerment programmes that focus on economic independence, self-employment, and entrepreneurship, enabling women with disabilities to generate income on their terms.
With the right consultation programmes, and adjustments made to help people with both visible and invisible disabilities, Britain's workforces and society in general can become better educated and aware, leading to greater compassion and successful outcomes for everyone.
Anita Boniface is a freelance journalist
*For the purposes of this feature, the language used aims to reflect the guidelines laid out in the Social Model of Disability, as outlined by Disability Rights UK.
It states: "According to the social model of disability, the term ‘people with disabilities’ is said to confuse impairment and disability and implies disability is something caused by the individual, rather than society.
"A disability is caused by society’s unwillingness to meet the needs of people with impairments. As a result, the term ‘Disabled people’ is used to describe people with impairments who are disabled by barriers constructed by society."
