the Financial Ombudsman Service and disabled consumers
Last year 14% of consumers whose disputes were settled by the ombudsman service told us they had some form of disability – predominantly mobility and breathing difficulties.
Many of our disabled customers do not ask for – or require – any adjustment in the way we communicate with them or deal with their case. But the ombudsman service is committed to making its service as accessible as possible – and we aim to meet the particular needs of all our customers. So if you do need help or information about our service in a different format or language, just let us know and we'll do our best to help.
The ombudsman takes part in a wide range of work aimed at raising awareness of the service – both with disabled consumers and with "trusted individuals" in the community who consumers turn to for information and advice.
our work with consumers
out and about
We take part in a range of events that bring us face-to-face with consumers – giving us the opportunity to raise awareness of the ombudsman and to seek feedback on the problems that disabled people may have encountered with financial services. These include:
- NAIDEX
- The South West Disability Show
- Disability North
- Independent Living Scotland
- Beyond Boundaries
- Mobility Roadshows
our work with specialist media
We work with a range of specialist media partners who help to highlight the ombudsman's role in settling financial disputes. This work includes:
- regular coverage in Able – the disability lifestyle-magazine– including a feature on the ombudsman's two-day different-needs awareness event
- coverage in RADAR's publications:
– If only I'd known that a year ago [PDF format] – containing practical advice and information for people who have become recently disabled
– New Bulletin [PDF Format] – distributed to a wide network of charities and front-line organisations providing support and advice to disabled people
- coverage on Disability Now's website and in Renew [PDF format], the flagship magazine of Rehab (the charity for people with brain injuries)
- coverage in The Parkinson [PDF format], the Parkinson's Disease Society's quarterly magazine, and in the society's on-line information sheets [PDF format]
- features in magazines such as Disability Review [PDF format] and Progress [PDF format]
our work with advisers and "trusted individuals"
Our outreach work with disabled people has included:
- consultation with local groups on how we approach disability issues (for example, our use of "easyread" and accessible text)
- organising and hosting a different needs awareness event for ombudsman staff – with five of the leading disability charities (Scope, RNID, Help the Aged, the British Dyslexic Association and the National Autistic Society)
- working with RADAR, the disability network, and other "trusted individuals" who work with disabled people – providing them with information on the ombudsman service and its role
- consultation with the Shaw Trust – the national charity supporting disabled and disadvantaged people in living more independently – on the development of our website, to ensure its accessibility for disabled users