How does growing up in poverty impact our relationship with money and financial services? Lead content designer Ray Newman shares his lived experience.

We cover how poorer people pay more for essential services and goods (poverty premium), deceptive patterns, financial vulnerability, and access to digital services.

We discuss how assumptions and a lack of understanding of the realities of poverty can lead to non-inclusive and inaccessible services.

01:17: Ray's experience with numbers

Ray shares his experience with numbers and how he copes with numbers as a content designer.

02:34: Content designers and number anxiety

The prevalence of number anxiety among content designers and the strategies they use to manage it.

03:59:Financial inclusion and poverty

Ray talks about his recent discussions on designing for people in poverty, sharing his own experiences growing up in poverty.

05:44:The psychological impact of poverty

Ray delves into the psychological effects of growing up in poverty, including the anxiety and habits formed around money.

08:04:Deceptive patterns and financial vulnerability

Laura and Ray discuss how people in poverty are vulnerable to deceptive patterns in services and the importance of transparency in pricing.

13:20: Access to services and digital inclusion

The challenges of accessing services, the role of public spaces like libraries, and the impact of digital-only services on vulnerable populations.

19:11: Financial habits and inclusion

Financial habits formed due to poverty, such as the reliance on cash and the challenges of digital payments.

25:26: The role of organisations in financial inclusion

Ways organisations can practise financial inclusion, such as changing their mindset and being transparent about costs.

44:02: Practical steps for inclusive design

Practical advice for designers on how to consider people living in poverty from the start of a project.

Follow Ray onLinkedIn andBluesky.

Show notes, bio and transcript available at accessiblenumbers.com/poverty-and-financial-inclusion

Lessons on designing with care from content designers Jane McFadyen and Rachel Edwards.

We discuss the principles of trauma-informed design, how stress, anxiety and trauma impact the use of services, and practical strategies for creating clear, simple and empathetic content.

We share our personal experiences with numbers and the importance of trauma-informed design when designing services for people with dyscalculia and maths anxiety.

Content warning: This episode includes themes such as death and bereavement, cancer treatment and trauma.

01:56 Personal experiences with numbers

08:52 Trauma-informed design principles

24:02 Impact of trauma on service use

08:52 Practical applications of trauma informed design

48:54 Numbers in services

57:42 Support for designers

01:08:36 New book: Designed with care

Follow Jane McFadyen on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Follow Rachel Edwards on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Buy Designed with care.

Transcript, bios and links available on accessiblenumbers.com/trauma-informed-design

An engaging and informative chat with Priyanca D'Souza, a senior user researcher with multiple access needs.

We discuss dyscalculia, number anxiety, mental health and the impact of assistive technology on understanding numbers.

We also talk about intersectionality and the complexities of managing multiple access needs and common service barriers.

"We can't just ignore information about people because it's inconvenient or makes them too messy or complex. People are complex." Priyanca

This episode is dedicated to Vicky Teinaki.

00:41: Personal experience with numbers

07:53: Intersectionality and inclusive design

10:11: Assistive technology and its challenges

14:34: Mental health and number anxiety

29:07: Designing for neurodivergent users

32:04: Real life Implications and advocacy

36:45: Financial literacy

41:53: Barriers in services

51:54: More design tips

Follow Priyanca on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

More on accessible numbers.