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
Bud Caddell
Theme 2 Intro
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Patrizia Bertini
Designing Within the Lines: How the EU AI Act Can Spark Better AI Innovation
2025 • DesignOps Community
Deanna Zandt
The Unspoken Complexity of “Self-Care” with Deanna Zandt
2022 • Civic Design Community
Jules Monza
Use These Words and Count These Things
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Ovetta Sampson
Managing the Human Engagement Risks of AI
2025 • Designing with AI 2025
Gold
Shan Shen
Translating UX Terms into Business Contexts
2023 • Design in Product 2023
Gold
Maria Taylor
Knowledge is Power: Managing the Lifeblood of the Design Org
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Robert Fabricant
Shifting dynamics: The evolving relationship between researchers, participants, and organizational systems
2025 • Advancing Research 2025
Gold
Bria Alexander
OKRs—Helpful or Harmful?
2022 • DesignOps Community
Bria Alexander
Theme Two Intro
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Sheri Byrne-Haber
Accessibility at Scale
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Ari Zelmanow
Dark Side of Democratization
2023 • Advancing Research Community
Jacqui Frey
Scale is Social Work
2020 • DesignOps Community
Emily Lessard
RFPs Without Tears: Writing Inclusive RFPS that Don't Scare Away Talent
2021 • Civic Design 2021
Gold
Frank Duran
Partnership Playbook: Lessons Learned in Effective Partnership
2024 • Enterprise Experience 2020
Gold
Indi Young
Thinking styles: Mend hidden cracks in your market
2025 • Rosenfeld Community

More Videos

Mark Boulton

"Committees are the mechanism for debate and scrutiny in science, so I’ve chosen to engage with them."

Mark Boulton

Ops without Designers

November 7, 2018

Jay Bustamante

"We are the solution to preventing harmful AI outcomes like Robert's wrongful arrest."

Jay Bustamante

Navigating the Ethical Frontier: DesignOps Strategies for Responsible AI Innovation

October 2, 2023

Chris Govias

"Too often RFPs ask us to deliver things instead of solve problems."

Chris Govias Mai-Ling Garcia Emily Lessard

Perspectives on Civic Design

September 23, 2021

Patrizia Bertini

"Applying systems thinking means changing one part affects the whole system — there’s no linearity in relationships."

Patrizia Bertini

DesignOps + KPIs = Measure your Impact!

January 8, 2024

Bud Caddell

"Susan Sogato will talk about culture as a key driver of customer success and its operational impact."

Bud Caddell

Theme 2 Intro

September 30, 2021

Dave Gray

"If you have a feeling you’re having the same conversation over and over, a canvas like this can ratchet the conversation forward."

Dave Gray

Group Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps

November 7, 2017

Amy Evans

"Controls like insurance qualifiers and legal agreements were necessary guardrails for this new way of working."

Amy Evans

How to Create Change

September 25, 2024

Yolanda Rankin

"Self-definition in virtual representation is crucial so players can control how they are portrayed, avoiding stereotypes."

Yolanda Rankin

Black Feminist Epistemology as a Critical Framework for Equitable Design

March 11, 2021

Barb Spanton

"Site visits with users don’t just give actionable insight; they give us raw, humbling inspiration to keep going."

Barb Spanton

Doing Work That Matters: A Look Beyond The Idealistic Notion of 'Doing Meaningful Work'

June 10, 2022