Apple proposes new emoji representing people with disabilities

The Unicode Consortium is a non-profit corporation that works to develop, maintain, and promote software internationalization standards and data. Apple’s proposal has been met with broad praise on social media. Emoji with hearing aids and using sign language, or others with wheelchairs and white canes are among the proposals. Other examples include guide dogs and prosthetic limbs.

According to Apple’s statement, the currently available emoji may not adequately represent people with disabilities. The new proposed options may help to fill a gap and provide a more inclusive experience for users. Four main areas where this gap is evident are blindness and low vision, deafness and hard-of-hearing, physical and motor skills, and hidden disabilities.

The emoji were developed in conjunction with organizations such as the American Council of the Blind, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and the National Association of the Deaf, USA Today adds. The proposal reads further that: “Apple is requesting the addition of emoji to better represent individuals with disabilities. Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities.”

Source: USA Today