To mark International Day of People with Disability, we’re reflecting on some of the ways that Bank Australia is working to improve accessibility and inclusion across our banking, our partnerships and our impact.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 5.5 million Australians – that’s one in five people – had a disability in 2022.
While people with disability generally experience poorer general and psychological health outcomes than people without a disability, many disability justice advocates believe this is largely a result of the social model of disability. In this model, the barriers that can come with disability are socially constructed and can be removed by changing our environments (yes, our physical ones, but also our societies, attitudes and ways of communicating) to enable equal participation for all.
“At Bank Australia and within the broader financial industry, we believe that everyone should have access to housing, banking and community support that suits their needs,” says Jane Kern, Bank Australia’s Head of Impact Management. “Creating a more inclusive banking sector isn’t a checkbox activity – it’s an ongoing process that’s shaped by our partners, customers and community organisations. As a customer-owned bank, we look to our network to help provide guidance on what’s working, and what isn’t.”
To mark International Day of People with Disability, here are some ways we’re supporting people with disability right now, and the areas we’re continuing to grow.
Lending for the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) sector
“Safe, stable and appropriate housing is foundational to independence and wellbeing,” says Tim Von Ess, Bank Australia’s Head of Impact Lending. Bank Australia was the first bank in the country to lend to organisations building specialist disability accommodation (SDA) – homes designed for people with complex support needs. Through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), SDA projects must include specialist design standards that help residents live more independently, like step-free access, wider doorways and corridors and support for assistive technology. Some of the partners we lend to include Accessible Homes Australia (AHA) and Coffee Club Investment Group, who both offer beautiful, safe and accessible apartments with 24-hour shared care for residents.
For Gail, a resident of AHA’s Hope Island who has MS and uses a wheelchair, the impact has been transformative. “I could see that I could live independently here, but safely,” she says. “That was really important to me.”
Nicole Chen, a Senior Manager of Impact Lending at Bank Australia, says this lending aligns with the bank’s values. “As a purpose-driven bank, we believe that supporting accessible housing goes hand in hand with responsible banking,” she says. “We’re proud to support projects that provide well-designed, well-located, and high-amenity homes for life.”
Personal loans for individuals purchasing SDA
The NDIS includes funding to support housing for people with high support needs. As well as lending to SDA providers, Bank Australia also lends directly to individuals who want to purchase their own SDA property.
These loans can come with flexible terms to suit the person’s financial circumstances and ensure repayments are manageable. “Supporting our customers to choose and own housing that suits their needs is a key part of financial inclusivity, and something we’re committed to strengthening,” Tim says.
Accessible banking products, services and content
Banking should be safe, inclusive and intuitive to everyone. “We know we’re not perfect,” Jane says, “but we’re continually looking for ways to improve inclusivity.” (And we’re always open to customer suggestions and feedback.)
Here are some of the supports we have in place today:
- Waiving fees for customers with disability: We offer a branch waiver fee for customers with disability who need to do their banking in person.
- Easy English documents: We provide Easy English versions of key information, including our complaints guide, financial abuse resources and hardship support. “These documents use writing and images that are simple, concise and easy to understand, and are useful for people who have difficulty with reading,” Jane says.
- Accessible branches: All Bank Australia (and Qudos Bank) branches are wheelchair accessible, and our location pages list details for accessible parking. Customers can also pre-arrange Auslan interpreters for in-branch appointments.
- Tactile ATMs and cards: In the four branches that have them, our ATMs include a tactile “5” key indicator, and audio functionality via a headphone jack. Our new bank cards – which are made from 100% recycled plastic*, with 64% collected from coastal communities by Parley for the Oceans™ – also feature tactile braille dot indicators that help distinguish between card types (platinum, debit or credit).
Supporting disability inclusion though grants
Through our Impact Fund, Bank Australia’s community customer grants program provides financial grants to nonprofit organisations that bank with us. Over the years, a number of these grants have gone to grassroots disability organisations that create connections, provide tangible support and advocate for systemic change.
Over the years, the grants have helped fund a 12-week functional fitness tennis program for people with disability living in regional Victoria, a “Knowing Your Rights” information series for people with disability across Gippsland, and a “House Mates” program, which supports people with mental health conditions or psychosocial disability to build the skills they need to secure and maintain housing.
“These projects reflect just a fraction of the vital work happening across disability networks,” Jane says. “It’s an honour to support their journey from idea to impact.”
*Some functional components including the chip, hologram and magnetic strip cannot be sourced as recycled plastic.
Learn more about Bank Australia’s accessible banking services.
