Finance for all : Envisioning inclusive financial systems

Abstract: One of the more pressing long-term concerns for parents of children with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), such as autism, is financial management (Abbott & Marriott, 2012). Few of these people ever manage to attain a level of financial literacy that allows them to become fully independent. Value, in it’s current form, is just too abstract for many (Cheak-Zamora, et al. 2017). This problem is augmented by our financial institutions, who have neglected to offer these groups any form of accessible financial products, rendering any aspirations of becoming “financially independent” by these groups, as unattainable. This is detrimental to their well-being and sense of self. (Abbott & Marriott, 2012). With this in light, this thesis will firstly highlight the obstacles faced by these groups in achieving financial independence, secondly, it will present a new paradigm through which to look at value. A paradigm that understands that money isn’t about a number, but rather the complex social interactions that that govern our liberties as members of society. Finally, this thesis will present an example of a new breed of fiancial system, Olive. Making use of emerging distributed technologies, Olive presents a system that enables us to produce products that recognises the spectrum of needs and abilities our community contains.