Apple Proposes new Emojis to represent Disabilities

In a submission to the Unicode Consortium, Apple proposed new emoji that would represent disabilities. There is 13 new emojis in total which includes a hearing aid, people using canes or wheelchairs, a guide dog, and prosthetic limbs.

In the submission, Apple wrote,

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.

They also mentioned that the emoji are just a starting point, hinting that there might be more accessibility emoji to come.

New Emojis

Apple has proposed 13 new emojis for Men and Women both. Count goes to total 45 if skin tones are taken into consideration. Here’s the summary of new emojis proposed.

Person With White Cane

Ear With Hearing Aid

Deaf Sign

Person in Mechanized Wheelchair

Person in Manual Wheelchair

Guide Dog With Harness

Service Dog With Vest and Leash

Mechanical or Prosthetic Arm and Leg

Unicode Consortium

The Unicode Consortium is a 501 non-profit organization that coordinates the development of the Unicode standard. During Unicode Technical Committee meeting, which is scheduled for next month, all the members will decide about this new emojis. If the emojis are approved, they’ll be put on shortlist for Emoji 12.0 and will be released in the first half of 2019.

Apple Proposal Document