Inclusion is the solution

03 December 2024 
Voices from NAB

When Maria Spozetta (Principal Inclusive Design) first migrated to Australia, she opened a joint NAB account with her then-partner – a woman.

It was something that she was not able to do in the Philippines.

“It made me feel seen,” Maria said.

“As a queer woman of colour living with cognitive disability and, as a customer, it showed me there’s space for inclusion.”

Maria’s focus on social justice and fairness is in her DNA.

“My mum was a law professor for almost 20 years, and both my parents are passionate about making a difference,” she said.

So, it’s no surprise that Maria has followed in their footsteps.

Maria’s cognitive disability means she can feel overwhelmed when things are overly complex. But she’s using it to her advantage as her superpower is to keep it simple.

“With my lived experience, I have an innate sensitivity towards designing simple interfaces to make it more inclusive and accessible,” she said.

Recently, Maria gave her expert recommendations to the Personal Everyday Banking Greenpath team to improve part of a credit card application process.

“The file upload process for ‘proof of income’ was improved to make it simple and clear,” said Maria. “We didn’t want customers overloaded with instructions, so we broke down the steps.

“The principal and senior designer did a great job!  When the new process was tested, the experience quality rating moved from silver to gold!”

For Maria, there is still more work to do – at NAB and within society.

“I am the product of all the small actions and decisions of people who have come before me and paved the way,” she said.

“I’m only here because someone advocated for all the things that allow people with cognitive disabilities to participate in the workforce. And I feel a sense of responsibility to contribute to that for the people who come after.

“If the work I’m doing makes it possible for one person to access banking services when they previously weren’t able to, then it’s worth it.

“With International Day of People with Disability coming up on 3 December, it’s a good reminder for institutions to galvanise change. And it’s just as important to remember that the real work happens the other 364 days of the year.

“We all have a stake in making things more inclusive.  And it’s on all of us to make the world a better place – for everyone. We have to keep going.”

International Day of People with Disability is officially observed on 3 December each year with celebrations spanning the week to promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance of people with disability. Read more about NAB’s commitment to building an inclusive workplace on the NAB website.