Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Navigating accessibility and climate
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Accessibility principles like simplification and user choice inform sustainable web design successfully.
-
•
Sustainability in digital design is multi-dimensional and cannot be judged by page size alone.
-
•
Video, while data-heavy, can be an energy-efficient and inclusive form of user communication.
-
•
User empowerment can include toggles offering choices between higher and lower carbon footprint options.
-
•
Government digital services exemplify leadership in integrating accessibility and sustainability standards.
-
•
Sustainability adoption succeeds when linked to business outcomes like conversion or user experience.
-
•
There is a shortage of sustainability-trained professionals, but the field is rapidly evolving with new educational resources.
-
•
Digital sustainability responsibilities need to be clearly assigned using maturity models and cross-organizational collaboration.
-
•
Digital impact compounds across millions of users, making even small efficiency gains significant at scale.
-
•
The climate crisis urgency requires applying lessons from accessibility work: combined grassroots efforts and organizational leadership.
Notable Quotes
"Accessibility is a better sell than sustainability when engaging clients."
"We need to have a planet before we can have dignity, and sustainability and accessibility are tied basic human rights."
"There is no direct correlation between data size and energy consumed; many factors interplay."
"User choice can include opting for a higher carbon or lower carbon version of the same content."
"73% of users are willing to choose a more sustainable browsing option even if image quality decreases."
"Sometimes the best solution for users isn't digital - for example, farmers often prefer face-to-face interactions."
"Sustainability can accelerate adoption when it aligns with business impact, like improving conversions."
"You need the whole organization involved, from engineering to marketing to legal, to make sustainability work."
"There are risks that sustainability tools become gatekeepers or quasi-standards themselves, which we must avoid."
"The digital sector’s compounded impact on carbon footprint exceeds industries like airlines when aggregated across millions."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Community is a thing that fosters a sense of belonging and wanting to identify with it."
James LangIf you can design an app, you can design a community
May 22, 2025
"Before AI, research teams spent over a quarter of their time consulting about research questions, often repeating themselves."
Mike OrenImproving Democratized Research with CustomGPTs and Gems
February 25, 2026
"The video review board still exists seven years later, so producing any video at IRS requires prior approval."
Crystal PhilcoxThe Many Faces of Operations
November 6, 2017
"We’re users of the system. We have to make sure it works well for us for it to work well for others."
Russ UngerGetting Out from Under Everyone: How to Escape the Paralysis of Getting Started
June 8, 2016
"Shamus Bern will talk about how to drop into a client site and grok what’s going on quickly without sacrificing why they hired you."
Dan WillisTheme 3: Intro
January 8, 2024
"Growth boards are really aimed around being very honest about the health of your product, not just painting a rosy status update."
Jackie HoLead Effectively While Preserving Team Autonomy with Growth Boards
January 8, 2024
"There is no singular solution in systems thinking; there are multiple types of interventions."
Sheryl CababaLiving in the Clouds: Adopting a Systems Thinking Mindset
June 6, 2023
"Service experiences are only as inclusive as their weakest checkpoint."
Gabriela BarnevaOperationalizing Inclusive Design in Service Design
November 20, 2025
"For users with physical challenges, hover states can be very difficult, especially for eye, head tracking, or voice control users."
Sam ProulxPrototype Reviews, People With Disabilities, and You
December 8, 2021
