Accessibility and Environmentalism: You Do What You Can
And, if you are seeing this article, you are likely doing enough.
On this Earth Day in 2026, it can be easy to be pessimistic about the Earth’s future with the rolling back of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations (link to Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) article) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centers speedrunning Earth’s destruction (link to Cable News Network (CNN) article) among a whole host of climate challenges outside the average person’s control caused by people with more money than we could imagine.
Granddad from The Boondocks said when you can’t do nothing, but there is nothing you can do, “you do what you can.” As a disabled person, I have thought about this quote a lot in my life as it becomes harder for me to do certain things as my disability progresses. I am not one to give up, even if it means doing things differently or less than before. I also shared this quote on my personal Facebook page when our current president was elected. Things may be big and scary at this time, because they are, but we can focus on what we can do versus what is out of our reach.
Gaming and the Environment
You may be wondering why a gaming accessibility page is writing about the environment. I am very aware of the stereotype that people who enjoy video games just want to spend all day inside playing them, as many people throughout my life had placed that assumption upon me. However, I, like every person on earth, am a multifaceted person and enjoy more than one thing, and that includes loving nature, animals, video games, and more. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about environmentalism on this page, as seen in my other article on Substack "Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch Consoles: Accessibility and Environmental Worries".
I enjoy video games because I love the environment. Many games celebrate the beauty of nature through its artwork and storytelling, as well as have environmentalist themes. Some of my favorite games that teach us the importance of caring for the environment are Final Fantasy VII, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and Splatoon.
And even those who are different than me and do not enjoy spending time outside can probably agree that having a safe and healthy environment is good for all of us if we want to spend more time on this Earth to enjoy more video games.
Accessibility and Environmentalism
Accessibility and environmentalism are closely related, if not inseparable. Many people with disabilities who cannot drive and those who cannot afford cars need robust, frequent, and reliable public transportation to get where they need to go, and public transportation also helps reduce the environmental impact of our currently fossil-fuel-and-car-dependent American society. A greater focus on pedestrian safety through safe and high-quality crosswalks, sidewalks, and curb-cuts help those who use mobility aids and/or those with visual disabilities more safely get around and create safer walking environments for all people regardless of car ownership to walk to their destination. Cleaner air is helpful for everyone, and especially those whose health and well-being depends on it due to disability or illness. More greenspaces, such as parks and community gardens, create third-places for all of us to improve our mental health for free while taking a break from work, school, health care appointment, and other responsibilities while the plants and trees clean our air. Avoiding corporate interests that increase the cost of our water and electricity, such as AI data centers (link to Consumer Reports article), help all of us, especially those that rely on medical and accessibility technology to live, get daily tasks done, and enjoy time with family and friends.
You Do What You Can
It is important that we all only do what we can to help the environment, so long as it does not affect our personal wellness and well-being. Past messages about protecting mother nature have had likely unintentional ableist and classist messaging about individual responsibility to care for the environment. It is on the onus of the government to regulate giant corporations that are doing incredible harm to the environment (link to article from The Guardian), and unless you control a giant corporation or are a government official who has not done your part to reign them in, you are not the cause of climate change. If you need to use a plastic straw to drink because of a disability or healthcare situation, please use a plastic straw. If you need to pre-cut ingredients encased in plastic because you are unable to cut them up yourself, please buy those pre-cut ingredients. If you are working multiple jobs to support you and/or your family and don’t have time to cook or clean dishes, please eat pre-made food in disposable packaging. The most important thing is that you and your family are safe and well. Period.
As someone who engages in environmentalist practices themselves, it’s important to acknowledge that most environmental practices require at least some level of privilege. I need to use plastic silverware because metal silverware is too heavy for me with my disability, but I am privileged that I have a partner who washes the plastic silverware for me, so it gets multiple uses before it breaks and enters a landfill. I cannot tilt the mugs to drink without causing pain in my hands, so I use metal reusable straws, but I know some people require the flexibility of plastic straws to get their daily hydration needs met. I have a vegetable garden in the summer that my partner helps with the heavy lifting tasks for it that would not get done if I was by myself. In addition to my garden, I let beautiful dandelions grow in my yard to help the bees and butterflies and dry my clothes on a clothesline to save energy, but I am privileged that I am a homeowner without a homeowners’ association (HOA) or disabilities that prevent me from doing these things. I shop second-hand and from ethical sources for my clothes when I can, but I am privileged to be able to afford to do this, do not need adaptive clothing that may be hard to find second-hand, and to live in a body in which it is easier to find clothes in my size. I walk to many businesses in my area because I live in a town with good crosswalks and sidewalks, but I have lived in suburban and rural areas that were not as pedestrian friendly (likely due to oil lobbyists convincing politicians to prioritize cars and profit over people and the environment) and could not do these things in the past. I vote in every United States (US) election, and I am privileged to be a US-born citizen and live in a state with great access to the vote-by-mail option.
I do not have enough money for an electric car and the home renovations to install a charger nor the time to charge it. Forgoing my car entirely would make doing my job that financially supports us impossible due to the nature of my work and our current public transportation resources in my county. My yard is too small to legally have a chicken coop in my town, let alone one of those fancy homesteads that you see plastered all over YouTube. And frankly, I don’t have the time, money, or physical ability to maintain that. I also require assistive technology to write and express myself and my partner needs a medical device that requires electricity, so we are certainly not going off grid anytime soon.
What we can all do this Earth Day is to educate ourselves on climate issues and remain important witnesses to climate and environmental injustice here in the US and around the world, especially in a current political climate that tries to minimize it. If that is all you can do, that you have done your duty to our Mother Earth and Barret from Final Fantasy VII would be proud of you. Anything else is just using privilege to pay it forward.
Disclaimers:
Everything in this article are my personal experiences and opinions, therefore are not to be taken as facts.
I am not sponsored by any companies, manufacturers, creators, or organizations mentioned.
Everyone’s situation is different. Accessibility isn’t “one size fits all”.
This is not medical advice.
Please talk to a doctor first before making decisions regarding your health and/or engaging in a new activity that may affect your health.
If you feel pain or sickness from an activity, please stop and speak with a doctor.
If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, please call your local emergency services or, if you are in the United States of America (USA), 911.
If you’re experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call your local emergency services or, if you are in the USA, 911 or 988.
For information regarding medical, mental health, and accessibility services in the USA, please contact your insurance company, 211, or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI: 1-800-950-6264).