02/03/2026
Quick accessibility reality check: emojis don’t stay visual.
For people who use screen readers, every emoji is read out loud, fully described, every time it appears. What looks like a simple design choice on screen becomes repeated audio clutter in practice.
As emojis show up more and more in written content (especially as stand-ins for bullets or flair), the listening experience can quickly fall apart. Instead of hearing the message, someone hears a running commentary of symbols before they ever get to the point.
And then there’s meaning.
Take the shooting star emoji. It’s often dropped in to signal excitement, momentum, or a “ta-da” moment. But for screen readers, it represents dizziness. That’s not the message you intended, and ironically, it’s exactly how someone might feel after listening to a long piece of emoji-heavy content. 💫
Accessible communication isn’t about banning emojis.
It’s about using them with intention.
Clear language first.
Structure that works without decoration.
And visuals that support understanding instead of getting in the way.
Because accessibility isn’t just how something looks.
It’s how it’s experienced.
