Vulnerability vs Disability: Mind the Gap

In this episode of Accessible Finance, host Prerna Goel speaks with Kathryn Townsend — Head of Customer Vulnerability and Accessibility at Nationwide Building Society and founder of the Deaf Inclusion Consortium. She was previously the UK Government Disability & Access Ambassador for banking.

Together they explore why disability inclusion still lags behind vulnerability frameworks, how digital transformation risks leaving disabled customers behind, and what practical steps banks and fintechs can take to embed accessibility from the start. Kathryn also shares her experience leading industry coalitions, collaborating with Project Nemo on learning disability research, and pushing organisations beyond compliance to truly inclusive design.

If you want to understand what it takes to make accessibility a default in financial services, this conversation is full of insights, challenges, and solutions.