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We are proud to be hosting a London Tech Week Fringe Event in partnership with Tech For Disability and Policy Connect.

Locked Out by Design: Financial Systems and the People They Were Never Built For

As the UK continues to move towards a more digital and cashless society, it is vital that financial systems work for everyone. Yet many disabled people continue to face barriers when accessing and using financial services, from digital platforms and identity verification processes to customer support and everyday banking.

At RIX, we believe that people with lived experience should be at the heart of designing the services, technologies, and policies that affect their lives. Inclusive innovation happens when diverse voices are listened to, valued, and meaningfully involved in shaping solutions.

We are delighted that members of the RIX team will be contributing to this important discussion:

• Paul Watts, Reader and Associate Professor at the University of East London, whose work focuses on inclusive research, participation, and social justice
• Ros Weinberg, who will bring the invaluable perspective of lived experience, helping to highlight the real-world impact that inaccessible systems can have on people’s everyday lives

Together with experts from technology, policy, research, and disability communities, the event will explore:

• How financial systems can unintentionally exclude disabled people
• Why lived experience is essential to designing accessible services
• What more inclusive financial systems could look like
• How technology, policy, and co-production can help drive meaningful change

Event details

Thursday 11 June 2026

1pm – 2:30pm

Online

 

Register here

 

Reflections on the event from Katie Brown, CAPA Intern

I found the Locked Out by Design panel to be interesting and informative. Throughout the seminar, the discussion was not focused solely on making digital finances more accessible but expanded on what that means in practice. Becks made the point at the beginning of the seminar that a bank can do everything in its power to create an accessible system. However, if those who need those available resources are unaware of them, the system is useless. As exciting as it is to finish a project and launch new software, companies should make a continued effort to support customers in the use of accessible features. Additionally, a flaw with several accessible designs is that they were not created alongside people with disabilities. Therefore, although they seem accessible, in reality they are not. During the panel, Ros advocated for including people with lived experience in accessible design and spoke about her challenges with the current card-dominant currency. People want to make anything they can more efficient, however, changes such as a business refusing to accept cash, can leave many individuals behind. That is not to say that there cannot be a shift to make life more efficient; it just must be done in an equitable way.  

Another topic discussed by the panel was the idea that technology should be designed to increase autonomy and independence, not decrease it. Oftentimes, advances in technology require someone who has a disability to obtain further assistance rather than less. For businesses, this can lead to a loss of customers because people with disabilities do not want the extra burden that technological advances have caused. Specifically, in terms of finances, this idea of independence is important. Paul stated that money and health are deeply linked. Without easy access to their money, a person with disabilities struggles in terms of quality of life. They are unable to buy their favourite food or do more than just window shopping. Many people with disabilities may have health concerns, and there is no need to add to their vulnerability through the added stress around accessing their finances.  

In relation to security, the panel had insightful comments. Accessibility is typically not one change that can be made, but rather the addition of options to create a space that serves many different needs. Security questions can be difficult to remember, and different financial institutions use various methods for keeping an account secure. Becks spoke on the topic that switching designs is not the automatic fix for accessibility. She used the example of changing bank security to Face ID for every user. However, there are some people with disabilities that are unable to use Face ID. Therefore, to ensure that software is accessible for a range of different people, choices are important. 

I am glad that I attended this seminar. I use my online and mobile banking almost every day. So, this panel contained information that pushed me to think about how banks have changed in my lifetime and the systems that are currently used and their accessibility or lack thereof. 

 

This year we celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on 21 May, an important international event that encourages people to think, talk, and learn about digital accessibility and inclusion.

Celebrated annually on the third Thursday in May, GAAD brings together organisations, educators, researchers, technology developers, and communities to raise awareness about the barriers disabled people can face when using digital technologies and online spaces.

At Rix Inclusive Research, accessibility is central to everything we do. We believe that digital technologies should empower people, strengthen communication, support participation, and create opportunities rather than barriers. Global Accessibility Awareness Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made, while also recognising how much more still needs to be done to ensure everyone can fully participate in digital life.

Today, technology shapes almost every aspect of our lives. We use digital systems to learn, work, communicate, access healthcare, shop, travel, and connect with others. However, many websites, apps, online forms, videos, and digital services are still not designed inclusively. For many disabled people, this can create frustration, exclusion, and inequality.

Accessibility means designing technology, environments, and information so that people with different needs, preferences, and ways of communicating can use them effectively. This includes people with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, neurodivergence, mental health needs, and people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Accessibility is not only about compliance or technical standards; it is about dignity, participation, independence, and human rights.

Importantly, accessible design benefits everyone. Features such as captions on videos, clear navigation, plain language, readable fonts, voice control, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images make digital content easier for many people to use. Accessibility supports people using mobile devices, older adults, people with temporary injuries, individuals with low digital confidence, and those using technology in challenging environments. Inclusive design improves experiences for all users.

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative videos

As part of the University of East London, RIX works closely with colleagues across the university to promote inclusive and accessible approaches to teaching, learning, communication, and digital practice. UEL has developed a Digital Accessibility Toolkit that provides practical guidance and resources to help staff and students create more accessible digital content and learning environments. Initiatives such as these reflect a shared commitment to embedding accessibility into everyday practice across education and research.

RIX has also been proud to contribute to wider national and international accessibility initiatives through collaborative partnerships. One example is the Accessible Academy project, led by Nottingham Trent University, which focuses on improving equity, accessibility, and inclusion in education through practical resources, training, and toolkits for educators and organisations. The platform provides guidance on inclusive teaching, accessibility, and the use of technologies, including generative AI, to reduce barriers in learning environments. Projects such as Accessible Academy demonstrate the importance of universities working together to share knowledge, develop inclusive practices, and create sustainable approaches that support diverse learners across educational settings.

Accessible Academy

At RIX, our work has long focused on creating inclusive and accessible approaches that support people with disabilities to communicate, participate, and have their voices heard. Through projects involving multimedia advocacy, inclusive research, digital storytelling, co-production, and person-centred technologies, we work directly alongside people with lived experience to develop meaningful and accessible solutions.

One of the key principles of our work is that accessibility cannot be designed for people without involving them. People with lived experience must be included as co-creators, co-researchers, designers, and decision-makers. Too often, systems and technologies are created without meaningful consultation, resulting in barriers that could have been avoided. Co-production and inclusive practice are therefore essential to creating truly accessible futures.

Here are some examples of RIX projects:

• working with RIX Wikis
• accessible multimedia communication
• Living Labs
• inclusive hackathons
• assistive technologies
• sensory and multisensory approaches
• digital inclusion programmes

We have seen how technology can support self-advocacy, improve communication, strengthen confidence, and create opportunities for participation in education, employment, research, and community life.

At the same time, we recognise that digital exclusion remains a significant issue. Many disabled people still face barriers related to:

• affordability
• digital skills
• inaccessible systems
• lack of support
• or assumptions made about their abilities

Addressing digital exclusion requires more than simply providing devices. It requires ongoing support, accessible design, inclusive training, and a commitment to listening to people’s experiences.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day is also a reminder that accessibility is everyone’s responsibility. Small changes can make a significant difference. Writing in plain English, captioning videos, checking colour contrast, creating screen-reader-friendly documents, providing image descriptions, and ensuring websites are easy to navigate are all practical steps that help make digital spaces more inclusive.

For organisations, accessibility should not be viewed as a one-off task or checklist. It should be part of organisational culture, values, and everyday practice. Inclusive communication and accessible design need to be embedded across teaching, research, services, and technology development.

At Rix Inclusive Research, we remain committed to promoting accessibility, inclusion, and participation in all aspects of our work. We will continue working alongside people with disabilities, families, communities, and organisations to challenge barriers and develop creative, person centred, and inclusive approaches that value everyone’s voice.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day reminds us that accessibility is not simply about technology — it is about people, equality, and creating a world where everyone can participate fully and meaningfully.

Gosia Kwiatkowska, RIX Director