Emojis are part of our everyday communication, but have you ever wondered how people with visual disabilities interact with them? In today’s accessibility tips, we will discuss how these symbols should be used (or not) in order to optimize communication with people with visual disabilities.

Some considerations

Before using an emoji in a text, you should consider the following points:

• Emojis may be improperly described: Screen readers use alt text, to describe the content of an image. But for emojis, the alt text might be too basic or not accurate enough.
• Emojis can be confusing: Different devices or apps show emojis in different ways, which can cause confusion. Some screen readers could read a smiley face emoji as “colon right parenthesis” if their screen reader is not properly customized.
• Emojis have cultural differences: Emojis can have different meanings in different cultures or languages. For example, the poop emoji is actually a symbol of good luck in Japan, the country of origin of several emojis.

Does that mean I shouldn’t use emojis?

Absolutely not! It’s perfectly fine to text emojis to your friends with visual disabilities. However, you should take into account the following points in order to make your texts with emojis easier to understand for the person with visual disabilities you are communicating with.

• Several emojis in a row can be annoying: Imagine if you were reading a text and the phrase “smiley face, smiley face, smiley face, smiley face” showed up. This is how a screen reader describes a row of emojis to a person with visual disabilities. Try to keep it simple.
• Avoid putting emojis in the middle of words. This can result in words being read improperly. For example, if you were to write the name of the artist Ke$ha, the screen reader would recite her name as “Key-dollar-sign-ha”. 
• Try to avoid sending a bunch of emojis that are the same color. They can be hard to tell apart from people that have visual disabilities.
• If you notice that your acquaintance has trouble understanding the emoji you just sent, it is encouraged to text what you just sent. Don’t be ashamed, clear communication is more important!