Today is World Emoji Day and in an attempt to better represent those with disabilities, Apple and Google have shared sneak peaks into a number of emoji’s to be released that are accessibility focused – such as guide dogs, wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs. More than 50 new emoji’s will become standard in 2019 and a large proportion of them are tied to the theme of inclusivity – including disabilities, inter racial relationships and gender ambiguous designs.
An Apple spokesman said: “Celebrating diversity in all its many forms is integral to Apple’s values” . Apple has pointed out that although the new emojis do not represent all forms of disability, they should be seen as a starting point for better representation and diversity within the emoji world.
Some of the disability emoji’s include:
A guide dog
A man and woman walking with a cane
A man and woman signing that they are deaf
An ear with a hearing aid
A man and woman in both mechanical and manual wheelchairs
A service dog (a trained dog that helps those with hidden disabilities)
A prosthetic arm
A prosthetic leg
Mechanical and Wheelchair Emojis
Service Dog Emoji
Hearing Aid Emojis
Prosthetic Limb Emojis
Content Credit: www.thecrunch.com / BBC News