Abstract
Research on information access environments “for good” is prominent across various disciplines. Yet, it remains unclear how much of this work translates into real-world outcomes. The kind of impact captured by broader societal priorities such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) means no field can advance on domain expertise alone. In this position paper, we argue that the field faces a persistent gap between aspiration and practice and that closing it does not mean waiting for perfect breakthroughs. Researchers have already laid a foundation that can support tangible improvements by shaping how we conduct our experiments and studies. We advocate for the steady, incremental adoption of what we already know works, pursued not on behalf of users but with them, through co-participatory design done right. These “baby steps” are how the community moves from discussing information access environments for good to systematically building and deploying them.