Apple to Introduce Disability-Themed Emojis in the Fall

By Stephanie Kocer

On World Emoji Day this week, Apple announced their plan to add “more diversity to the keyboard” as they roll out new “disability-themed” emojis this fall.

iPhone users will be able to send emojis like a guide dog, hearing aid, a person in a wheelchair, a prosthetic arm or leg, and many more. Apple explained that celebrating diversity in all its forms is an important part of their values as a company, and these new options will help fill a significant gap that has been missing in the emoji keyboard.

The company submitted a proposal to add the inclusive emojis in March 2018 to Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit organization that provides basic standards for emojis.