TLDR Tech / Design
Making Emojis and Icons Screen Reader Accessible
Emojis and icons, while enhancing visual communication, can create accessibility barriers for screen reader users because they are often not coded as true images, and their literal descriptions may not match their intended meaning. Screen readers announce the official character names of emojis (like "hands pressed together" for 🙏) rather than the intended sentiment, and icon-only buttons can become "invisible" to assistive technology without proper text alternatives. To make these elements accessible, developers must provide appropriate text alternatives and consider the cognitive load of excessive emoji use on users with disabilities.
Read the full story