Project Nemo, an initiative to accelerate disability inclusion within the UK fintech sector, has launched this week with the aim to encourage the industry to better serve those with disabilities and lived experiences.
The non-profit organisation has been set up by disability advocate Kris Foster, graduate Ella Manley, and former fintech CEO Joanne Dewar, who previously headed UK payments platform Thredd.
The project, which will consist of a 12-month disability inclusion campaign, intends to provide the fintech sector with the resources and expertise to help build a more inclusive industry.
This will be accomplished by raising awareness about the obstacles that individuals with disabilities face when entering the industry and facilitating connections between fintech leaders and people with first-hand experience of these challenges.
In addition, the project emphasises that a key element of its strategy for success involves hosting a series of workshops, branded as the Fintech Festival of Inclusion, designed to highlight and champion cases of disability inclusion within the sector.
Described by Dewar as a “massive missed opportunity for fintech”, over one in five people in the UK live with a disability, accounting for approximately £274 billion a year in spending power.
Moreover, the initiative claims there is evidence to suggest a disparity in disability employment within the UK fintech sector.
“Fintech thinks of itself as the future of financial services, and we have made great strides in streamlining, broadening reach and lowering costs. But if we ever want to truly achieve mainstream adoption beyond the digital natives, we need to ensure that our workplaces, all of our products and services fully consider accessibility,” says project head Dewar.
Source: fintechfutures.com
