{"id":610,"date":"2026-04-21T10:11:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/?page_id=610"},"modified":"2026-04-21T10:18:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:18:04","slug":"using-emojis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/recent-email-news\/using-emojis\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Emojis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-umflint-templates umflint-template-default\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);min-height:50px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-371\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/blogs.dir\/61\/files\/2025\/03\/Blue.UCEN_.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#FFF\"><\/span><div 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href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/alt-text\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Adding Alt Text<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-504\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-504 nav-item\"><a title=\"Checking Captions for Kaltura Videos\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/kaltura-videos\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Checking Captions for Kaltura Videos<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-505\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-505 nav-item\"><a title=\"Creating Accessible Descriptive Links\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-descriptive-links\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Creating Accessible Descriptive Links<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-506\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-506 nav-item\"><a title=\"Creating Accessible Presentations\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-presentations\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Creating Accessible Presentations<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-507\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-507 nav-item\"><a title=\"Creating Accessible Tables\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/creating-accessible-tables\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Creating Accessible Tables<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-508\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-508 nav-item\"><a title=\"Ensuring Basic Color Contrast for Accessibility\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/basic-color-contrast\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Ensuring Basic Color Contrast for Accessibility<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-509\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-509 nav-item\"><a title=\"Removing Redundant Links\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/removing-redundant-links\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Removing Redundant Links<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-510\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-510 nav-item\"><a title=\"Structuring Your Documents and Pages for Accessibility\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/guides\/structuring-your-documents\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Structuring Your Documents and Pages for Accessibility<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-511\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-511 nav-item\"><a title=\"Recent Email News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/recent-email-news\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Recent Email News<\/a><\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-512\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-512 nav-item\"><a title=\"Rethinking PDFs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Rethinking PDFs<\/a>\n<ul class=\"subitems-menu\" >\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-513\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-513 nav-item\"><a title=\"Converting a PDF to Word\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/converting\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Converting a PDF to Word<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-514\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-514 nav-item\"><a title=\"Myths and Paths Forward\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/myths-paths-forward\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Myths and Paths Forward<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-515\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-515 nav-item\"><a title=\"PDF Alternatives\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/alternatives\/\" class=\"nav-link\">PDF Alternatives<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-516\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-516 nav-item\"><a title=\"Sharing Read-Only Files\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/sharing-read-only-files\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Sharing Read-Only Files<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-517\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-517 nav-item\"><a title=\"Shortcomings and Frustrations of PDFs\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/rethinking-pdfs\/shortcomings-frustrations\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Shortcomings and Frustrations of PDFs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-548\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-548 nav-item\"><a title=\"Accessibility Standard Practice Guide (SPG)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/spg.umich.edu\/policy\/601.20\" class=\"nav-link\">Accessibility Standard Practice Guide (SPG)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-9\">\n\t\t\t\n<nav aria-label=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb mb-3\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\">Accessibility<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/recent-email-news\/\">Recent Email News<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item active\" aria-current=\"page\">Using Emojis<\/li><\/ol><\/nav>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2d2d34eb7be39963356d1e7b4b798e62\">Guiding Principles for Using Emojis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Emojis \ud83c\udf89 have become a fun and expressive part of digital communication from social media posts to casual emails. However, when it comes to accessibility, especially for users who rely on screen readers, emojis can sometimes do more harm than good if not used thoughtfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-83d769f9cb3039449072295fadde366a\">What Are Emojis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before\u00a0emojis, there were emoticons like \ud83d\ude42 or :-P.\u00a0Emojis\u00a0are graphic symbols\u00a0with\u00a0built-in alt text that help convey emotions, ideas, or reactions. They\u2019re used everywhere &#8211; from websites and emails to texts and tweets. However, their visual nature doesn\u2019t always translate well across all platforms, especially for users\u00a0with\u00a0visual impairments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ed1bd4126ce18cf0108aab0688049995\">Emojis\u00a0Are\u00a0<em>Not<\/em>\u00a0a Substitute for Text<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Emojis\u00a0should complement your message, not replace it. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A\u00a0<strong>\u201cLike\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0button should be labeled\u00a0with\u00a0the word \u201cLike,\u201d not just a\u00a0\ud83d\udc4d\u00a0emoji.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replacing a \u201cDownload\u201d link\u00a0with\u00a0just a\u00a0\u2b07\ufe0f icon can be unclear, especially to screen reader users who might only hear \u201cDownwards black arrow.\u201d <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you string together several\u00a0emojis\u00a0in a row, a screen reader will announce\u00a0<strong><em>every<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0one, interrupting the flow of content and potentially overwhelming the listener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e59b7eb145f78ebba8e1e62f06f12daf\">Watch It In Action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This 30-second video shows how\u00a0emoji-heavy content sounds to a screen reader user.\u00a0<em>Spoiler: it\u2019s not great.<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/u19717448.ct.sendgrid.net\/ls\/click?upn=u001.u2kf5KCHxRa-2FVSQfBaZdl4Uej8Oy6piRQwgbf899f6ujhzTRKeJa-2FmEQjuWGdfuwfvaw0E56gZpeGRlC9OtFfA-3D-3D9odj_vd5Cfk0-2FvvhH2UhG8Nnfe795PEyDUpGXkjcpiKpwPByU0c5f7SsiefVSa0CbuWRrgknscZ5RlOSuQdvX7yBknV4-2FyRNMWrTm1ozERh9Do70GvNQeEsGfP7UVHZg85wjeC7L6PZWyBWeYhcPhWGhf-2BXVlxgI0QcCrpyOtgSnVtk5VrqPYIxrW7cAU7g9mvlAyu914pxTVgEbNA9aA8One4UKQNkbuDD6cqoPjyD4puXinpgGcA5UQv-2BqXzBoS-2BjqZn1bjts8UoTZYkx206q1ZTRJb5qcHwTMQ2GpiCmn3AYbn9TqlspJdazGCZhBOfsa8lQuoHVf-2Bkb1BMEQS05-2BXBDdR63HRB9TI0RfAqkAQAxx8GpbwZqoGm6D5Ra-2BjcnQSD12nLRKODOaVMOn-2FoPEfzab-2FuVP3WhHAV-2BWxpw1HBX0WPmBy6I2Xvls63NrvPwGj75H9-2FCCQo5u3JlqANCrzwvE9ZrqBFyDS15JR3AihKwVRJhOEW7jWwY5kNRSbIE36n5lJ8-2BQ-2BNP8qm7rw-2FBzWt9fInhDCNGyASsQevN4PE879nxzlxisowuxrX4G2qq5MgNfOdqLZVwdUUpGcLieS-2FMgqJQQZnrZ5Lq2rgjLTPT85wDG-2FuiOEePqRNq9Pk1PqznVV7-2BEU2k57KgbeyYug2UWi7Jgi6uvvTLsQHcsUL2o4nRvrwd4-2BGYRkRduDsj-2B-2B0qmcSWozM8KCiO64FwCRoNPmI8sA5XT8moBpEjuG0MK2WVBY5Juf0zoQMVHLfiWCS9ZIIsISxFPqMKFBvRcSzOf34Tj6R0gXUg-2Bs5nCXc-2BRsEFPsbVDoGucMBNqUq3f3voZzz80lEzjYwgkquVmN5ySw6pV93mcZ-2BMDe7TjBgJihYYmkSyID7zFTSK6uUno9yMohk7UGkAMlAUyw3W4PAUqP15BinYnrDkaIiKcMtwlBIevLPWohA7F-2FimN-2FUQI2FxPlj66KywmjAcbFE7G2btFdPbGIEU-2FQckrCv86eGvfeKMFaCeUKLnkJXQZ5ntIAaTuYyOAF6CGB4K4XhM1luOCCgPJ-2BiTlNzWxbPiX9BEIKZWUxsMN4-2BgKmR8yEijqvssL4haGb9oXQ22zU0cmPZE3ig5ODObvnGufcVHBNnh4qpZCybDKHS2kD60q93V-2B7p1W0nW1bpcxnC2uroMP-2FD4L-2BhGmIHjwNs-2FP66EQY5WlLUynYWFQLlAuP6ioCon-2BCivlfIwKF53aQaScqWznsT1hZBmm-2Bs2GKrZUAfGxrDFmlncQsoFYhhwVCpL4WEZ98QGxz64sC8dhvBxZogQ8LyqBzLEN8OUsxsCWXYl1cIqbxNurHuYF-2F0z9CuX9ysOMSzhGdQzZh1NdtHI3JwHyQv43uhe483u1XomM-2B-2FtZDXXiYM-2BoY8ZJZ2AzoDISxRtfqKS8Au6Z136olexT55cC38tsIm8dTVW3RuvCgf7fkPVNBdHQWjTLgiJ2cCx5tkRFjKGq26o-2F7EY1MWOc5r4GT16Gpfk8e4z4Y9UsZlWckvzG2Lz68WdLr9RA9JAZt7K0YrZGq52BWYuG4Z0yyt52uWLJYKMtN5HLKcBGpmn-2B0p3FTvNHKcSZgywj-2BfrYOJAhgPLR1SvA7c17QyKr3CmloV9BtsrbeDCUZHzDDKpZ9ObSU7jii-2FmQPt-2BHK2gwisV1rDS5O8qKI0Jdt2Oqvg-2Bm4CdM-2B8h9B7YOUAw7aKdubgT5IFWFDZOmkvjF7QmWUWCSVUE4zUnkoS9zsMraj8bh52dNaHQRYBH-2F1MkW7SctFHqA-3D\" 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href=\"https:\/\/u19717448.ct.sendgrid.net\/ls\/click?upn=u001.u2kf5KCHxRa-2FVSQfBaZdl4Uej8Oy6piRQwgbf899f6ujhzTRKeJa-2FmEQjuWGdfuwfvaw0E56gZpeGRlC9OtFfA-3D-3D9odj_vd5Cfk0-2FvvhH2UhG8Nnfe795PEyDUpGXkjcpiKpwPByU0c5f7SsiefVSa0CbuWRrgknscZ5RlOSuQdvX7yBknV4-2FyRNMWrTm1ozERh9Do70GvNQeEsGfP7UVHZg85wjeC7L6PZWyBWeYhcPhWGhf-2BXVlxgI0QcCrpyOtgSnVtk5VrqPYIxrW7cAU7g9mvlAyu914pxTVgEbNA9aA8One4UKQNkbuDD6cqoPjyD4puXinpgGcA5UQv-2BqXzBoS-2BjqZn1bjts8UoTZYkx206q1ZTRJb5qcHwTMQ2GpiCmn3AYbn9TqlspJdazGCZhBOfsa8lQuoHVf-2Bkb1BMEQS05-2BXBDdR63HRB9TI0RfAqkAQAxx8GpbwZqoGm6D5Ra-2BjcnQSD12nLRKODOaVMOn-2FoPEfzab-2FuVP3WhHAV-2BWxpw1HBX0WPmBy6I2Xvls63NrvPwGj75H9-2FCCQo5u3JlqANCrzwvE9ZrqBFyDS15JR3AihKwVRJhOEW7jWwY5kNRSbIE36n5lJ8-2BQ-2BNP8qm7rw-2FBzWt9fInhDCNGyASsQevN4PE879nxzlxisowuxrX4G2qq5MgNfOdqLZVwdUUpGcLieS-2FMgqJQQZnrZ5Lq2rgjLTPT85wDG-2FuiOEePqRNq9Pk1PqznVV7-2BEU2k57KgbeyYug2UWi7Jgi6uvvTLsQHcsUL2o4nRvrwd4-2BGYRkRduDsj-2B-2B0qmcSWozM8KCiO64FwCRoNPmI8sA5XT8moBpEjuG0MK2WVBY5Juf0zoQMVHLfiWCS9ZIIsISxFPqMKFBvRcSzOf34Tj6R0gXUg-2Bs5nCXc-2BRsEFPsbVDoGucMBNqUq3f3voZzz80lEzjYwgkquVmN5ySw6pV93mcZ-2BMDe7TjBgJihYYmkSyID7zFTSK6uUno9yMohk7UGkAMlAUyw3W4PAUqP15BinYnrDkaIiKcMtwlBIevLPWohA7F-2FimN-2FUQI2FxPlj66KywmjAcbFE7G2btFdPbGIEU-2FQckrCv86eGvfeKMFaCeUKLnkJXQZ5ntIAaTuYyOAF6CGB4K4XhM1luOCCgPJ-2BiTlNzWxbPiX9BEIKZWUxsMN4-2BgKmR8yEijqvssL4haGb9oXQ22zU0cmPZE3ig5ODObvnGufcVHBNnh4qpZCybDKHS2kD60q93V-2B7p1W0nW1bpcxnC2uroMP-2FD4L-2BhGmIHjwNs-2FP66EQY5WlLUynYWFQLlAuP6ioCon-2BCivlfIwKF53aQaScqWznsT1hZBmm-2Bs2GKrZUAfGxrDFmlncQsoFYhhwVCpL4WEZ98QGxz64sC8dhvBxZogQ8LyqBzLEN8OUsxsCWXYl1cIqbxNurHuYF-2F0z9CuX9ysOMSzhGdQzZh1NdtHI3JwHyQv43uhe483u1XomM-2B-2FtZDXXiYM-2BoY8ZJZ2AzoDISxRtfqKS8Au6Z136olexT55cC38tsIm8dTVW3RuvCgf7fkPVNBdHQWjTLgiJ2cCx5tkRFjKGq26o-2F7EY1MWOc5r4GT16Gpfk8e4z4Y9UsZlWckvzG2Lz68WdLr9RA9JAZt7K0YrZGq52BWYuG4Z0yyt52uWLJYKMtN5HLKcBGpmn-2B0p3FTvNHKcSZgywj-2BfrYOJAhgPLR1SvA7c17QyKr3CmloV9BtsrbeDCUZHzDDKpZ9ObSU7jii-2FmQPt-2BHK2gwisV1rDS5O8qKI0Jdt2Oqvg-2Bm4CdM-2B8h9B7YOUAw7aKdubgT5IFWFDZOmkvjF7QmWUWCSVUE4zUnkoS9zsMraj8bh52dNaHQRYBH-2F1MkW7SctFHqA-3D\" 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href=\"https:\/\/u19717448.ct.sendgrid.net\/ls\/click?upn=u001.u2kf5KCHxRa-2FVSQfBaZdl4Uej8Oy6piRQwgbf899f6ujhzTRKeJa-2FmEQjuWGdfuwfvaw0E56gZpeGRlC9OtFfA-3D-3D9odj_vd5Cfk0-2FvvhH2UhG8Nnfe795PEyDUpGXkjcpiKpwPByU0c5f7SsiefVSa0CbuWRrgknscZ5RlOSuQdvX7yBknV4-2FyRNMWrTm1ozERh9Do70GvNQeEsGfP7UVHZg85wjeC7L6PZWyBWeYhcPhWGhf-2BXVlxgI0QcCrpyOtgSnVtk5VrqPYIxrW7cAU7g9mvlAyu914pxTVgEbNA9aA8One4UKQNkbuDD6cqoPjyD4puXinpgGcA5UQv-2BqXzBoS-2BjqZn1bjts8UoTZYkx206q1ZTRJb5qcHwTMQ2GpiCmn3AYbn9TqlspJdazGCZhBOfsa8lQuoHVf-2Bkb1BMEQS05-2BXBDdR63HRB9TI0RfAqkAQAxx8GpbwZqoGm6D5Ra-2BjcnQSD12nLRKODOaVMOn-2FoPEfzab-2FuVP3WhHAV-2BWxpw1HBX0WPmBy6I2Xvls63NrvPwGj75H9-2FCCQo5u3JlqANCrzwvE9ZrqBFyDS15JR3AihKwVRJhOEW7jWwY5kNRSbIE36n5lJ8-2BQ-2BNP8qm7rw-2FBzWt9fInhDCNGyASsQevN4PE879nxzlxisowuxrX4G2qq5MgNfOdqLZVwdUUpGcLieS-2FMgqJQQZnrZ5Lq2rgjLTPT85wDG-2FuiOEePqRNq9Pk1PqznVV7-2BEU2k57KgbeyYug2UWi7Jgi6uvvTLsQHcsUL2o4nRvrwd4-2BGYRkRduDsj-2B-2B0qmcSWozM8KCiO64FwCRoNPmI8sA5XT8moBpEjuG0MK2WVBY5Juf0zoQMVHLfiWCS9ZIIsISxFPqMKFBvRcSzOf34Tj6R0gXUg-2Bs5nCXc-2BRsEFPsbVDoGucMBNqUq3f3voZzz80lEzjYwgkquVmN5ySw6pV93mcZ-2BMDe7TjBgJihYYmkSyID7zFTSK6uUno9yMohk7UGkAMlAUyw3W4PAUqP15BinYnrDkaIiKcMtwlBIevLPWohA7F-2FimN-2FUQI2FxPlj66KywmjAcbFE7G2btFdPbGIEU-2FQckrCv86eGvfeKMFaCeUKLnkJXQZ5ntIAaTuYyOAF6CGB4K4XhM1luOCCgPJ-2BiTlNzWxbPiX9BEIKZWUxsMN4-2BgKmR8yEijqvssL4haGb9oXQ22zU0cmPZE3ig5ODObvnGufcVHBNnh4qpZCybDKHS2kD60q93V-2B7p1W0nW1bpcxnC2uroMP-2FD4L-2BhGmIHjwNs-2FP66EQY5WlLUynYWFQLlAuP6ioCon-2BCivlfIwKF53aQaScqWznsT1hZBmm-2Bs2GKrZUAfGxrDFmlncQsoFYhhwVCpL4WEZ98QGxz64sC8dhvBxZogQ8LyqBzLEN8OUsxsCWXYl1cIqbxNurHuYF-2F0z9CuX9ysOMSzhGdQzZh1NdtHI3JwHyQv43uhe483u1XomM-2B-2FtZDXXiYM-2BoY8ZJZ2AzoDISxRtfqKS8Au6Z136olexT55cC38tsIm8dTVW3RuvCgf7fkPVNBdHQWjTLgiJ2cCx5tkRFjKGq26o-2F7EY1MWOc5r4GT16Gpfk8e4z4Y9UsZlWckvzG2Lz68WdLr9RA9JAZt7K0YrZGq52BWYuG4Z0yyt52uWLJYKMtN5HLKcBGpmn-2B0p3FTvNHKcSZgywj-2BfrYOJAhgPLR1SvA7c17QyKr3CmloV9BtsrbeDCUZHzDDKpZ9ObSU7jii-2FmQPt-2BHK2gwisV1rDS5O8qKI0Jdt2Oqvg-2Bm4CdM-2B8h9B7YOUAw7aKdubgT5IFWFDZOmkvjF7QmWUWCSVUE4zUnkoS9zsMraj8bh52dNaHQRYBH-2F1MkW7SctFHqA-3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Testing emojis with screen-reader - please use emoji icons sparely, they add a lot of &quot;noise&quot;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0XJBIUH_o4w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-39ef45f5fdfb8f5eae299cbe883f9b5d\">Emoji Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To make your content both fun and accessible, keep these tips in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use emojis sparingly as visual accents, not main content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Always pair emojis with text that clearly describes the action or message<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use common, familiar emojis that are likely to be understood and supported across devices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the alt text (what a screen reader will read aloud) before including one. Some can be surprisingly long!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Place emojis at the end of a sentence rather than in the middle to avoid interrupting screen reader flow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be mindful of contrast. Some emojis don\u2019t stand out on light or dark backgrounds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Skin tone variants add extra detail to the alt text (e.g., \u201cwaving hand: medium skin tone\u201d), which lengthens what\u2019s read aloud<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember:<\/strong>\u00a0emojis\u00a0may render differently or be unsupported depending on the device or platform. What looks cheerful on your screen might appear confusing (or not at all) on someone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-41c7020a2b9a2c882af362adfed91e62\">Avoid &#8220;AI-style&#8221; Formatting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While emojis can enhance content, overusing them, especially as section dividers or bullet replacements, can reduce clarity and credibility. Heavy emoji use is also increasingly recognized as a hallmark of AI-generated content, particularly when used to structure or segment information (e.g., starting every line or heading with an emoji).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For accessibility and professionalism:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Limit emojis to occasional emphasis rather than repeated patterns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid using emojis as substitutes for headings, bullets, or structure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure content remains clear, readable, and well-organized without relying on visual decoration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Well-structured text should stand on its own. Emojis should enhance meaning, not carry it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c3599f9b64e3e6b8dc9da83eb0a01040\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Emojis&nbsp;can be a great way to add personality to your content. However, like anything else in communication, clarity and accessibility come first. When in doubt, lead&nbsp;with&nbsp;words, and let&nbsp;emojis&nbsp;play a supporting role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for helping keep our digital spaces fun&nbsp;<em>and<\/em>&nbsp;inclusive!<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/recent-email-news\/using-emojis\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"parent":285,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-610","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=610"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":615,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/610\/revisions\/615"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/accessibility\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}