Rosenverse

Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.

Log in Create free account

100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.

Navigating accessibility and climate
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 • Climate UX Interest Group
Share the love for this talk
Navigating accessibility and climate
Speakers: Ned Gartside , Mike Gifford , Zoe Lopez-Latorre and Tzviya Siegman
Link:

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."

Ask the Rosenbot
Jodi Forlizzi
Design and AI innovation
2024 • Designing with AI 2024
Gold
Matteo Gratton
Can Data and Ethics Live Together?
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Sheryl Cababa
Day 2 Panel
2024 • Designing with AI 2024
Gold
Alla Weinberg
Cross-Functional Relationship Design
2022 • Design in Product 2022
Gold
Jon Fukuda
The Big Question about Innovation: A Panel Discussion
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Kaaren Hanson
Stop Talking, Start Doing
2017 • Enterprise Experience 2017
Gold
Ebru Namaldi
Designing the Designer’s Journey: Scaling Teams, Culture, and Growth Through DesignOps
2025 • DesignOps Summit 2025
Gold
Peter Van Dijck
Building the Rosenbot
2024 • Designing with AI 2024
Gold
Joi Freeman
A New Vantage Point: Building a Pipeline for Multifaceted Research(ers)
2020 • Advancing Research 2020
Gold
Rittika Basu
Age and Interfaces: Equipping Older Adults with Technological Tools
2023 • Advancing Research Community
Kristin Taylor
Building Bridges Across Organizational Silos
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold
Megan Blocker
Day 2 Theme Panel
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Kate Kalcevich
Integrating Accessibility in DesignOps
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Julie Norvaisas
Back to basics, or start from scratch?
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Michelle Chin
The DesignOps Starter Kit
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Jules Monza
Use These Words and Count These Things
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold

More Videos

Christian Bason

"We can prototype policies by imagining a citizen’s daily life if a policy is realized, despite political and time constraints."

Christian Bason

Innovating With People: Unleashing the Potential of Civic Design

December 8, 2021

Shazia Ali

"If there’s a community that’s already lesser heard, then it’s even harder and those voices are often drowned out."

Shazia Ali Bruce Gillespie Joyce Lee Andy Warr

Communication: Innovative techniques for making your voice heard [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]

August 21, 2024

Nick Cochran

"Sense-making is a motivated, continuous effort to understand connections and act effectively."

Nick Cochran

Growing in Enterprise Design through Making Connections

June 3, 2019

Jim Kalbach

"Each first take was the only take, which got pressed on the album."

Jim Kalbach

Jazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration

June 4, 2019

Joseph Meersman

"Playbacks are stakeholder-focused meetings that sell the work’s story and drive buy-in, different from critiques focused on craft."

Joseph Meersman

Sweating the Pixel: Scaling Quality through Critique

June 10, 2021

Dan Ward

"Innovation is novelty with impact—something new that makes a meaningful difference."

Dan Ward

Failure Friday #1 with Dan Ward

February 7, 2025

Clara Kliman-Silver

"Novice users can try things out thanks to automation, but experts can focus on the challenging and creative pieces."

Clara Kliman-Silver

UX Futures: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Design

June 7, 2023

Patrick Boehler

"Most people joined us with tactical asks but the conversations became strategic."

Patrick Boehler Madison Karas

The service shift: transforming media organizations to create real value through design

November 19, 2025

Deanna Smith

"If you dug deeper into feedback, you'd find ways to address issues without a big change."

Deanna Smith

Leading Change with Confidence: Strategies for Optimizing Your Process

September 23, 2024