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
The fourth in a series of discussions centered around Climate UX. The adverse effects of climate disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, but what does this mean in the context of UX? How does accessibility affect climate? What lessons can we draw from the accessibility movement to enhance our efforts in scaling climate action? Join our conversation to hear perspectives from those who have worked at this intersection. Panelists: Ned Gartside, Tzviya Siegman, Zoe Lopez-Latorre; Moderated by: Mike Gifford
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
"There is a large and growing capability overhang in these models we haven’t discovered yet."
Peter Van DijckHands-on AI #1: Let’s write your first AI eval
October 8, 2025
"Bringing qualitative and quantitative insights together creates more impactful decision-making across the organization."
Ben Davies Matt Duignan Andrew Michael Dr. Emily DiLeoExpert Panel: The Principles of Research Repository Design
March 11, 2022
"Build a design ops backlog that anyone in the organization can contribute to and you revisit regularly."
Jackie AjouxLeveling-Up: A Single-Player’s Guide to the DesignOps Team-of-One
January 8, 2024
"Note-taking is really important; it's underappreciated but critically important, like interviewing users for a researcher."
Jorge ArangoThe Best of Both Worlds: How to Integrate Paper and Digital Notes (1st of 3 seminars)
April 5, 2024
"If we’re going to design something and it can’t be the most simple and delightful experience, but at least minimally usable, then I will take that to get it in users’ hands."
How to Identify and Increase your "Experience Quotient"
June 15, 2018
"Design review is simply the act of designers collaborating to increase quality and craft."
Erika Kincaid Brenna Heaps Jessica TsukimuraConnecting the Dots: How to Foster Collaboration and Build a Strong Design Review Culture
June 8, 2022
"AI cannot substitute the research expertise achieved through multiple interviews and synthesis by humans."
Erin Weigel Petra RajkovTesting and Experimentation Tools
March 12, 2026
"If we all implement one small impactful thing in our projects, that can lead to meaningful change."
Tristin OldaniTurning awareness into action with Climate UX
January 16, 2025
"The most alarming result is that people didn’t know how to work with the design team or get help from them."
Audrey CraneShadow Design–Where Else is Design Happening in Your Organization?
April 20, 2023
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What examples show that empathy emerges more from participation in research than from insights alone?
What is automation bias and how can UX design mitigate its risks in AI-augmented clinical decision support?
How should communication style change when working with contractors compared to corporate colleagues?