Apple Proposes New Emojis That Are More Inclusive For People With Disabilities

Apple Disability Emoji Proposal
Apple/Unicode Proposal
Apple Disability Emoji Proposal
Apple/Unicode Proposal

Apple Proposes New Emojis That Are More Inclusive For People With Disabilities

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Once, texters had to make due with just a plain smiley face or heart. Now, there’s a smiling ghost, flags from around the world, the Vulcan salute, and four different monkeys. Communication has evolved in the era of emojis as our pool of smileys continues to expand. Now, that pool may be more inclusive as Apple pushes for approval on 13 new emojis with disabilities.

This week, the Unicode Consortium — the Powers That Be who determine which emojis make it to your phone’s keyboard and which don’t — are meeting to examine a number of emoji proposals, including Apple’s 13 emojis. Apple partnered with disability advocate groups including the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the American Council of the Blind (ACB). 

ACB executive director Eric Bridges joins Morning Shift to talk about why groups like his are pushing for more inclusive emoji representation.