The tech giant has submitted a proposal to the Unicode Consortium to expand its suite of emojis with 13 new accessibility related emojis, including a prosthetic arm/leg, a man/ woman walking with a cane, an ear with a hearing aid, a man/woman signing that they are deaf. Apple said: “The current selection of emoji provides a wide array of representations of people, activities, and objects meaningful to the general public, but very few speak to the life experiences of those with disabilities.”
The emojis have been in the works for a while. Apple proposed the designs last fall to the Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit that sets the standards for emojis.
The announcement has been praised by many on social media as an important moment for inclusion for people with disabilities.
“Representation matters and for those living with MS, some of whom have visible disabilities, this is an important way for them to feel included and seen,” said Cyndi Zagieboylo, president and CEO of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Sharron Rush, the executive director of Knowbility, a nonprofit that works to make technology more inclusive for people with disabilities, praised Apple’s decision, calling the company “a leader among tech companies in considering the needs of people with disabilities.” Rush said she hopes Apple uses to the disability-themed emojis as a “new foundation” on which to build technology that works and represents those living with disabilities.
The National Organization on Disability (NOD), a nonprofit that focuses on employment issues for people with disabilities, agrees, but added their organization is hoping for more than keyboard representation.
Credit : NBC news
Picture Credit : Google
