Financial Autonomy

The ability of a person to make and enact their own financial decisions — earning, saving, spending, and planning — consistent with their values and goals. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, financial autonomy is often constrained by guardianship, benefits rules, employment barriers, and caregiver oversight; the resulting dependence can reinforce exclusion from adult roles. Accessibility technologies that center financial autonomy aim to replace blanket caregiver control with scaffolded independence, supported decision-making, and tools that make financial reasoning visible rather than hidden.