Use Emojis Sparingly and Meaningfully
Emojis can be fun and engaging. However, when we use them excessively or in inappropriate contexts, such as at the beginning of a sentence or replacing a bullet or number, they can cause problems, especially for individuals who rely on screen readers or require clear, easy-to-read information.
How Emojis Can Create Barriers
- Disrupt sentence flow: Screen readers announce the description of each emoji. This can interrupt the message and make it hard to follow. For example, instead of hearing 'bullet,' they hear the name of the image associated with the emoji.
- Confuse the message: When emojis are used as list bullets or in a long string, the message can sound jumbled or repetitive. This makes information hard to understand for everyone, not just people using assistive technology.
- Reduce professionalism: Using emojis in place of standard bullet points or in work communication can make your message seem more casual or less carefully crafted, as if it were copied and pasted directly from Artificial Intelligence or machine-generated platforms or services. This can affect how your audience values the information you share.
Examples of Inaccessible Emoji Use
Using emojis as bullet points: Using emojis like checkmarks or hearts to list items disrupts the reading flow, as the screen reader announces the description of each emoji instead of just the text.
Repetitive emojis for emphasis: A string of the same emoji to create emphasis will be read out each time, which can be overwhelming and time-consuming for screen reader users.
Overly long or complex emoji strings: A username or bio filled with many emojis will cause the screen reader to read out the name of every single emoji, making it difficult to understand the actual name.
Replacing words with emojis: Substituting words with emojis, such as "⏳ is running out ‼️ Only five more days until our 🆕 event," can cause screen readers to read descriptions that may not make sense or could lead to cognitive overload for users.
Emojis in the middle of words: Placing an emoji inside a word, like the singer Kesha's stage name 🔑sha or key💲ha" being pronounced "Key-dollar-sign-ha," disrupts reading flow and can change the intended meaning
Use Simple and Plain Language to Make Content Better
- Use regular bullet points. They are straightforward, familiar, and easy for everyone to follow. When you use a bullet point, the screen reader recognizes that the items are a structured group and allows it to announce the list type, item count, and provide navigation shortcuts, rather than just reading items as separate, unrelated paragraphs.
- Use standard punctuation
- Use style formatting tools
- Consider how your choices impact individuals who rely on screen readers or require information to be presented clearly. The use of too many emojis can clutter the document and overwhelm the reader.
- Effective communication is for everyone. By choosing simple and accessible ways to share ideas, we demonstrate respect and empathy for all readers.
- Avoid decorative symbols: Characters like “-★✧♡”