Apple Inc. plans on introducing a new set of emojis to appropriately represent people with disabilities.
According to Apple, some of the emojis it plans to add up to its already existing ones include a guide dog, a wheelchair user, prosthetic limbs, and a man and woman walking with a cane.
It also said it will include 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 amongst others.
It mentioned that, very few of the current emoji options speak to the life experiences of those with disabilities.
However per its opinion, adding emojis emblematic to users’ life experiences helps foster a diverse culture that is inclusive of disability.
Apple’s submitted its proposal to the Unicode Consortium, the organisation which reviews requests for new emoji characters.
In its submission Apple said: “Currently, emoji provide a wide range of options, but may not represent the experiences of those with disabilities.
“Diversifying the options available helps fill a significant gap and provides a more inclusive experience for all.”
According to them, the list is not a comprehensive one with all the possible depictions of disabilities, but to provide an initial starting point for greater representation for diversity within the emoji universe.
