Are you an iPhone user? After downloading the latest update, you might be surprised to notice your emoji library has expanded yet again (by 59 to be exact). Emojis are "image characters" and advance the way we talk via text or web. Some report that using emojis to communicate is one of the fastest-growing languages. For non-verbal communicators, the ability to enhance messages with simple images is essential to comprehension and inclusion.
Emoji characters have become increasingly diverse year-to-year to include various ethnicities and cultures. The new emojis highlight a never before seen depiction of the disability community, which is the largest minority group in the United States. The new emojis include representation for both visible and hidden disabilities. The best part, users can select any gender or skin tone as 1 in 5 people in the United States has a disability.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 1 in 8 people in the United States experience hearing loss. Even with this commonality, emojis have never represented hearing-impaired people. Today, you will find an ear with a hearing aid as well as a character using sign language.
A recent survey published by the Veterans Administration mentioned there are approximately 3.3 million wheelchair users in the United States, about 1% of the population. However, for some wheelchair users, their chair is their only source of ambulation. Emojis for both electric and manual wheelchairs are included in the emoji library, along with dozens of other forms of transportation.
Dogs can be a person's best friend and in the United States, approximately 500,000 service dogs are supporting people. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs can access almost everywhere their human handlers go. Service dogs allow people with disabilities to live independently and overcome the invisible challenges of day-to-day life. The new emojis include two dog breed images, harness and all.
According to the National Federation of the Blind, approximately 8.7 million Americans are blind or visually impaired, and another 1.3 million are legally blind. Going beyond displaying a person with glasses, the new emoji is diverse and represents a person using a white cane to walk. The new emoji library also includes prosthetic limbs, a disability that often goes unnoticed.
These New emojis represent a long-delayed yet initial step towards inclusion in digital communication. The Arc of Opportunity celebrates this innovative creation of awareness, which provides people with disabilities an opportunity to express themselves genuinely through technology.