moneyPLUS – making financial services work for the Deaf community

If you’re Deaf, managing your money or speaking to a bank isn’t just difficult – it’s often inaccessible. 

From being unable to book an appointment without a voice call, to relying on hearing family members to explain sensitive financial issues, the barriers are real and widespread.

That’s why deafPLUS is launching moneyPLUS – a new London-based project designed to make the financial world more inclusive, more empowering, and more Deaf-friendly. Because your ability to manage your finances shouldn’t depend on whether you can hear.

At the heart of moneyPLUS are three urgent aims:

• Improve Deaf people’s financial literacy – so that more people feel confident making decisions about savings, debt, mortgages, and benefits.
• Prevent financial abuse – especially when Deaf people are pressured into handing over control to family or friends due to lack of accessible alternatives.
• Protect against scams and fraud – by giving Deaf people the tools and knowledge to spot warning signs and know their rights.

As one Deaf woman told us during the research phase:

This isn’t right – and moneyPLUS is here to change that.

moneyPLUS is a three-year initiative providing tailored, accessible financial advice and education for Deaf people across London.

At the heart of the project is a full-time finance expert – someone trained in British Sign Language and deaf-aware communication – embedded within our award-winning AdviceLine service.

Through this project, we’ll offer:

• One-to-one support in BSL from a trained financial adviser
• E-learning courses for both Deaf people and banks to improve understanding
• Awareness videos showing Deaf-friendly best practice
• Social media and web tools sharing tips and guidance using accessible formats
• By working in partnership with SigningBanks UK, we’re also connecting directly with over 20 financial service providers who want to learn and improve.

This project is for Deaf people in Greater London – especially those who use BSL or experience barriers to accessing financial services.

According to Which? and Inclusion London, banks continue to fall short in meeting even the most basic needs of disabled customers. We know from our own work that financial literacy among Deaf people is not low because of capability, but because of exclusion.

The need is huge – and growing. In London alone, more than 25,000 people identify as Deaf, many of whom feel locked out of mainstream financial services.

moneyPLUS isn’t just for the Deaf community – it’s built with the Deaf community.

We’re working closely with a Deaf reference group to co-design resources, videos and learning materials. The project also includes Deaf ambassadors who will raise awareness and ‘snowball’ the message through their own networks.

Our approach is simple: Deaf-led, expert-informed, and community-connected. It’s not about translating existing services. It’s about transforming them.

We believe this project will:

• Increase financial confidence among Deaf people
• Improve access to mainstream services by educating banks
• Reduce isolation and dependence on hearing family or friends
• Empower Deaf people to thrive – not just survive
• Our long-term vision is to create a model that can be used beyond London, helping financial services become genuinely inclusive across the UK.

We often talk about “empowering communities.” But real empowerment means being able to manage your own money, in your own language, on your own terms – without needing to rely on others or fight to be understood.

moneyPLUS isn’t just about better advice – it’s about driving systemic change. For over 20 years, the deaf community has delivered Deaf awareness training to banks and financial institutions.

But the reality is, little has changed. The barriers are still there. The system still excludes.

This project is different. It’s not a training session – it’s a movement. We’re challenging how financial services are designed, delivered, and made accessible. And we’re doing it with the Deaf community leading the way. If your organisation works in financial inclusion, disability rights, or digital access, we’d love to collaborate. Together, we can push for lasting change. Find out more at www.deafplus.org.