Climate Data Accessibility

The ability of heritage custodians and communities to consistently find, understand, interpret, and freely use climate data in ways that are culturally relevant, technically feasible, and actionable. Accessibility goes beyond simple data availability; it requires that data be provided in formats and languages that are meaningful to users, supported by translation, contextualization, and ongoing relationships of trust and support (Ford et al., 2016; Vincent et al., 2020). Meaningful accessibility involves not only the technical aspects of data delivery but also the social, cultural, and institutional processes that enable communities to apply information to their own priorities and decision-making (McNie, 2013; TallBear et al., 2024).