Why should we care about making numbers accessible?

I seek to answer this question in series 1.

A deeply personal chat with Peter Cherry, the chair of the adults with dyscalculia advisory board, about dyscalculia in adulthood.

We discuss what dyscalculia is, the stigma around not having a maths GCSE, gender stereotypes in maths education and the need for greater awareness and acceptance of dyscalculia.

01:35 Personal experiences with dyscalculia

04:20 Understanding dyscalculia 

07:38 The impact of dyscalculia on daily life 

14:27 Co-occurrence with other neurodivergent conditions 

21:56 Diagnosis versus self identification

27:15 Dyscalculia in the workplace 

35:26 Masking dyscalculia 

43:07 Creative coping strategies

54:43 Advocating for support

01:02:00 Resources and the Dyscalculia Network

Episode notes, transcription and links

The Dyscalculia Network

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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.

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

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. 

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

Understand the complex world of debt, poverty, and mental health with money advisor, Colin Trend. 

With over 30 years of experience, Colin shares his insights on designing services for people struggling with money, the impact of harmful design patterns, and the importance of understanding the user's perspective. 

This episode includes real-life stories of the people Colin has helped over the years.

Whether you're a designer, a financial advisor, or someone interested in social justice, this episode offers valuable lessons on making financial services more accessible. 

01:34: Colin's relationship with numbers

05:02: Working in money and debt advice

07:21: Social injustices and financial vulnerability 

11:16: Mental health and financial struggles 

14:09: Designing accessible financial services

19:04: Real life stories and challenges 

24:10: Innovations in financial services 

30:28: Final thoughts and more stories

Follow Colin on LinkedIn. Bio and transcripts available at accessiblenumbers.com/debt-financial-vulnerability

A chat with Sheena Campbell from the Patient Information Forum (PIF).

This episode covers the importance of health literacy and how numbers and data can be confusing or challenging for many people when accessing healthcare services.

We discuss how numbers appear in healthcare, such as medication dosages, appointment times, and risk and benefit communication. Sheena provides insights and tips on how to present health information and data in more accessible and understandable ways.

01:44: Sheena's relationship with numbers 

02:16: Overview of the Patient Information Forum (PIF)

04:03: Membership and benefits of PIF 

05:11: Health literacy

08:41: Numbers in healthcare 

13:25: Communicating medical risks and benefits

23:03: Health information in medical settings 

32:02: Writing medical questions

35:53: User-centered design in health information 

40:49: Misinformation in health information 

Follow Sheena Campbell on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Visit and pifonline.org.uk and piftick.org.uk.

Transcript and bio available at accessiblenumbers.com/accessible-health-information

Explore Geri Reid's personal experience with dyscalculia and her professional work in accessibility and design systems.

We discuss the challenges people with dyscalculia face when using digital services, deceptive design patterns (like hidden fees, sneaky upsells, and countdown timers) that can exploit those challenges, and design patterns that can help make numbers more accessible.  

We also talk about how internal tools and documentation are often overlooked for accessibility but are vital for employees who struggle with numbers.

01:10 Lived experience with dyscalculia 

03:34 Challenges with design components

08:29 Financial transactions and vulnerabilities

13:18 Designing for accessibility in financial services

20:41 Internal documentation and accessibility 

29:00 Deceptive design patterns 

38:53 Helpful design patterns and tools 

44:37 Improving accessibility in design systems 

Follow Geri on LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Transcript, bio and links available on accessiblenumbers.com/inclusive-design-systems