I remember years ago when I first started getting text messages and social media posts with emojis. I thought, “what in the world is this?” Friends and family would flood their communication with these little digital images. 😘
My screen reader would speak the description but I still didn’t get it. I couldn’t relate. I didn’t understand the point or the purpose. Since I am a word girl and totally blind it kind of went over my head. I assumed it was a quicker way to say things without all the fan fair of written words.
July 17 is World Emoji Day. In its honor, I have been spending some time educating myself on its history, purpose and meaning. I am sharing with you the things I learned. Still I wonder if I will use them on a regular basis. Probably not.
Definition and History
Okay, what is an emoji? Merriam-Webster Dictionary says this. “An emoji is any of various small images, symbols or icons used in text fields in electronic communication (as in text messages, email and social media) to express the emotional attitude of the writer, convey information succinctly, communicate a message playfully without using words, etc.”
They were invented in the 1990s in Japan by Shigetaka Kurita, a mobile phone company designer. Kurita created emojis because emails had only 250 characters but emojis are only one and have more meaning. Now, emojis are popular all over the world and new ones come out all the time.
More Inclusive Emojis
Unfortunately, , when they first appeared emojis were not reflective of everyone. However, today there are emojis representing disability, race and gender. I vaguely recall Apple making their announcement to be more inclusive of emojis . I was happy to hear the news because I believe in a more inclusive world.
I smiled hearing my screen reader say 🦯 or announcing the variety of different skin tones. This was wonderful. It was a true effort to actually create an environment that spoke to all kinds of people. But I still couldn’t quite figure out why I wasn’t getting on board.
Overusing and Not a Substitute
I also think emojis don’t resonate because when I get text messages it would be all emojis. The message would be a variation of faces. Like smiling face with open eyes, smiling face throwing a kiss, smiling face with tears of joy, winking face with stuck out tongue. Or an assortment of different colored hearts. Yes, my screen reader would read them but I would get lost, overwhelmed or confused about what the person was communicating. I learned that too many emojis can distort what you are trying to say. It is better to sprinkle them around. You still need to take the time to fully communicate your message by adding some text.
Emojis are not a substitute. They should be used to compliment language not replace it. They should reflect the world in which they are being used. There are differences in interpretations between cultures and age groups. For example, not everyone reads Hand gestures the same. Thumbs up and the OK sign don’t mean the same everywhere. Older generations can take emojis literally while younger folks don’t. Since emojis are not created equal, it is best to look up the meaning first to avoid miscommunication or offense.
Emogis Are Accessible on Windows
I learned that blind people can add emojis using Windows. Initially emojis were on your smartphone device. They are located on the keyboard. For a Windows computer using a screen reader, there is a simple and fairly easy way to do it. And I added some emojis myself to this post. 😊 See that? Pretty cool!
I have several blind and low vision friends who use emojis so I know they are accessible and useful. They are just not my choice of communication. I guess because we live in such a visual world and I am a little old school. I want to be sure my communication with you is clear and understandable. And I just don’t always think emojis do the job. Plus there are so many of them these days. By the time I scroll through the list I could have written what I wanted to say and been done with it! ✍️
Empish J. Thomas 
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