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
Dr. Jamika D. Burge
The Future of Research: Bridging the Gaps
2021 • Advancing Research Community
Sam Proulx
Online Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
2023 • Design in Product 2023
Gold
George Abraham
Design Systems To-Go: Reimagining Developer Handoff, and Introducing App Builder (Part 2)
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Rima Campbell
Increase Productivity and Drive Business Impact
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Peter Van Dijck
Building impactful AI products for design and product leaders, Part 3: Understand AI architectures: RAG, Agents, Oh My!
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Sheryl Cababa
Thinking in systems to address climate with Sheryl Cababa
2024 • Climate UX Interest Group
Dagmara Kukawka
Tiny team, moonshot impact: Democratizing research across continents
2026 • Advancing Research 2026
Conference
Erika Flowers
Introduction to MURAL for UX
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Ellie Krysl
Planned Right. Managed Right. Designed Right.
2023 • Enterprise UX 2023
Gold
Alexandra Schmidt
Enterprise UX Playbook
2022 • Enterprise Community
Milan Guenther
The $212 billion ‘so what?’: unlocking impact in development cooperation
2025 • Advancing Service Design 2025
Gold
Jessamyn Edwards
Surviving Your UX Career in Enterprise Design
2021 • Enterprise Community
Bob Baxley
Theme 4: Discussion
2024 • Enterprise Experience 2020
Gold
Steve Portigal
Discussion
2015 • Enterprise UX 2015
Gold
Sam Proulx
Accessibility: An Opportunity to Innovate
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold
Sheryl Cababa
Expanding Your Design Lens with Systems Thinking
2023 • Enterprise Community

More Videos

Mark Interrante

"You have to check the AI’s work and provide feedback—just like you would with a human assistant."

Mark Interrante Harry Max

AI for Prioritization (3rd of 3 seminars)

July 11, 2024

Sara Logel

"Choosing the right output depends on the desired outcome—from quick iterations to gaining senior leadership buy-in."

Sara Logel

Your Colleagues are Your Users Too

March 29, 2023

Steve Chaparro

"My job was to ask tons of discovery questions to uncover what my clients really needed, not just what they said they wanted."

Steve Chaparro

Bringing Into Alignment Brand, Culture and Space

August 13, 2020

Jorge Arango

"The challenge for us is how might we act more skillfully under conditions of VUCA."

Jorge Arango

Design as an Antidote to VUCA

May 9, 2019

Marissa Cui

"Carbon removal is necessary to hit climate goals because reducing emissions alone won’t be enough."

Marissa Cui Rachel He Michael Leggett Manos Saratsis

Climate Design Product Showcase

March 13, 2024

Carla Casariego

"Say no — that was really hard, but when you say no, you’re saying yes to the right things."

Carla Casariego Sarah Spencer

DesignOps in Wonderland

October 24, 2019

Cassini Nazir

"The double empathy problem: neither neurotypicals nor neurodivergents see each other’s empathy as empathy."

Cassini Nazir Meah Lin

The Dangers of Empathy: Toward More Responsible Design Research

March 27, 2023

Ana Maria Montero Barrantes

"I am not throwing away your UX."

Ana Maria Montero Barrantes Aditi Dhar Michelle Kaplan Nate Osborne Matt Laurence

The Authentic UX Talent Show

January 8, 2024

Corey Nelson

"Don’t force yourself into a job you know isn’t right just because you’re unemployed."

Corey Nelson Amy Santee

Layoffs

November 15, 2022