Reclaiming Autonomy: How Project Nemo Is Redesigning Financial Inclusion for People With Disabilities
- Amy Sandiford
- Dec 2, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
At the BASE Conference, Project Nemo’s guest speaker Kris Foster delivered more than a keynote—he delivered a blueprint for reimagining financial independence for people with disabilities. His message connected deeply with Social Role Valorisation (SRV) principles: valued roles, autonomy, dignity of risk, and the right to direct one’s own life.
What emerged through the stories, research, and lived experience shared in the room was a powerful reminder:personal finance is the new frontier of disability rights, and Project Nemo is one of the first organisations to tackle it head-on.
1. Why Financial Autonomy Matters
Financial autonomy isn’t just about money.
It is about:
freedom of choice
personal control
identity and dignity
participation in everyday life
the right to make mistakes and learn from them
SRV teaches us that people thrive when they occupy valued social roles—worker, customer, account holder, decision-maker. But when people with disabilities are shut out of mainstream financial systems, or are over-protected by well-meaning supporters, those valued roles are quietly removed.
Before Project Nemo’s work, many people with learning disabilities lived in a system shaped by:
shared PINs
risky workarounds
avoidance of digital banking
no bank account in their own name
others managing their finances entirely
assumptions about risk that restricted autonomy
This wasn’t a personal deficiency.It was a systemic design problem.
2. Lived Experience at the Centre: Kris Foster’s Story
Kris shared his upbringing in North London, his experiences at the Valley School, and the bullying and exclusion he faced—particularly in employment. After losing his father, he struggled to find meaningful work and eventually took a cleaning job he disliked. His journey included delayed speech, hidden capability, and a lifelong battle against low expectations.
Everything shifted when he founded Open Book, a platform showcasing disability stories. With encouragement from friends, mentorship from leaders like Joanne Dewar, and a drive to change the narrative, Kris found his voice and began influencing the FinTech sector.
His presence at the conference was a living example of SRV in action: a man once socially devalued now sits at the table shaping national financial inclusion strategies.
3. Introducing Project Nemo: Visibility, Leadership, and System Change
Project Nemo was created because the financial world was not designed for neurodiversity or learning disability. Kris Foster and Joanne Dewar saw a gap:financial systems were unintentionally disabling people.
So they built a solution from the ground up—one that combines:
lived experience
human-centred design
industry partnerships
community knowledge
practical tools
Their work has already influenced national policy, earning recognition in the UK Financial Inclusion Strategy and winning industry awards.
But the real impact is human: restoring autonomy, dignity, and confidence.
4. What Was the Solution — and How Did Project Nemo Solve It?
Below is a clear summary of how Project Nemo moved from research → insight → real-world change.
A. They Replaced Assumptions With Lived Expertise
Problem:Financial tools were designed for neurotypical minds.
Solution:Project Nemo created a Lived Experience Advisory Panel that directly shapes banking tools and policies.
Impact:Decisions are now based on real cognitive and emotional needs—not assumptions.
B. They Created the First Safe Spending Framework for Learning Disability
The Safe Spending Research (2025) uncovered major barriers:
91% need help with daily decisions
38% require ongoing spending support
32% lack a bank account in their name
Project Nemo responded with:
✔ A Safe Spending Framework
Principles for autonomy
Risk-aware design
Practical steps for supporters
A blueprint banks can adopt immediately
Impact:A sector-wide model for safe, independent financial participation.
C. They Co-Designed Practical Tools That Increase Independence
With people with learning disabilities leading the design, Project Nemo shaped tools such as:
safe-spend cards with limits
calm-mode banking apps
biometric login (no more PIN stress)
real-time notifications
supporter cards (visibility without control)
Impact:Risk is reduced not by restricting the person, but by improving the system.
D. They Eliminated Unsafe Workarounds
Instead of:
shared PINs
borrowed debit cards
avoiding digital banking
staff managing all money
People now use:
secure digital tools
autonomy-building strategies
supported financial decision pathways
Impact:Safety increased.Dependence decreased.Autonomy restored.
E. They Transformed the Sector Through Education
Project Nemo delivers training for:
Banks & FinTech
Why learning disability must be a design priority
How to simplify processes
How to prevent fraud without excluding people
Support Workers & Families
How to step back, not overstep
How to support safe risk
How to use SRV principles to build competence
Impact:A more respectful, autonomy-focused ecosystem.
F. They Shifted Public Perception Through Storytelling
Kris’s story, the Open Book platform, and Project Nemo’s podcast & outreach have changed how society sees learning disability.
Impact:Role restoration—people with disabilities are seen as leaders, experts, and agents of change.
G. They Influenced National Strategy
Their research and tools were included in the:
UK National Financial Inclusion Strategy
FinTech inclusion initiatives
Award-winning financial innovation work
Impact:Their solution is not just a program—it is a national movement.
5. SRV in Action: Valued Roles Through Financial Autonomy
Project Nemo’s work embodies SRV principles by restoring valued social roles:
From:
passive recipient
dependent
“too vulnerable”
excluded customer
To:
account holder
decision-maker
community member
financially independent adult
This shift is not symbolic.It changes how people see themselves, how others see them, and how society treats them.
6. What Happened in the Room: Connection, Validation, and Hope
A participant shared a key moment:Joanne Dewar, then CEO, once made them feel seen, valued, and believed in. That validation changed their trajectory.
Another reflected on Kris’s ability to connect with every person in the office—creating culture, community, and belonging.
These moments matter.They reinforce the truth at the heart of autonomy work:
Inclusion is not a service. It is a relationship.
7. A Call to Action: Changing Your Corner of the World
Project Nemo has shown what is possible when:
lived experience leads
systems adapt
SRV principles guide decisions
autonomy is prioritised
risk is shared, not avoided
You do not need to rebuild an entire sector to make an impact.
Change happens when:
one job coach teaches budgeting through real work
one organisation adopts safe-spend principles
one supporter stops over-assisting
one bank uses calm-mode design
one CEO validates a voice
one story reframes public perception
These are the actions that restore autonomy, expand identity, and shift culture.
Financial independence is not a privilege.It is a human right.
And Project Nemo has shown the world exactly how to make it possible.
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