On 16-17 April 2025, AFI and the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of Financial Market (ARDFM) held a virtual training course on financial inclusion for people with disabilities.

Staff from ARDFM and a wide range of organizations from Kazakhstan’s financial sector took part in the training, which forms part of ongoing AFI In-Country Implementation support to ARDFM.

The main goal of the training was equip participants with the necessary tools to identify and implement practical policy initiatives that promote financial inclusion for people with disabilities. Participants explored alternative methods for assessing PWDs’ creditworthiness, as well as how to uphold their consumer rights, and protect them from digital fraud.

“Increasing financial accessibility for people with disabilities is not only a matter of social justice, but also a necessary condition for sustainable economic development,” said ARDFM Deputy Chairman, Olzhas Kizatov. He mentioned that more than 80% of bank branches in Kazakhstan are now partially or fully adapted for people with disabilities, 19 bank websites and mobile applications have been adapted, and government-supported preferential mortgage and business lending programs are in place for PWDs.

Paul Surreaux, Co-founder of the Barrier-Free Finance Initiative, set out the challenges faced by PWDs in accessing formal financial services, and shared successful experiences of PWD financial inclusion. “It is very important to consider the needs of individual clients from all groups and at all levels of service delivery in a comprehensive manner: in digital terms—within mobile applications; physically—in terms of the accessibility of financial institutions’ offices; and at the level of client support and training in the use of financial products,” he noted.

Golam Sarowar, Joint Director Financial Inclusion Department, Bangladesh Bank, Bushra Shafique, Additional Director, Banking Policy and Regulations Department, State Bank of Pakistan, and Dr. Isaac Mwangi, Central Bank of Kenya, talked through the challenges and lessons learnt in financially including PWDs in their own jurisdictions. Khaled Bassiouni, General Manager of the Financial Inclusion Department at the Central Bank of Egypt, and Maria Iride, Director of Financial Education at the Bank of Italy, presented strategies and policies to ensure fair treatment and protection of persons with disabilities.

“We thank AFI for the opportunity to hold this training, which brought together a wide range of participants, demonstrating the high level of interest within the financial sector in promoting inclusive approaches and implementing practices that are tailored to the needs of all population groups,” summarized Olzhas Kizatov.

A recent AFI report, Financial Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities, presents national strategies, policies, and initiatives from AFI member institutions in this area.