Diverse Couples, Disabilities, A Sari, And Other New Emojis In 2019 Promoting Inclusivity
There will be 59 new emojis and 230 variations of existing emojis.
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 07 Feb 2019, 04:14 PM
The list of the 59 new emojis and 230 variations of existing emojis to be released in 2019 was announced on 5 February by the Unicode Consortium
According to The New York Times, the latest update continues a trend toward greater emoji diversity, which began a few years ago when a range of skin tones was introduced.
"You see people are asking for curly hair, different skin tones, bald heads, a hijab," said Jennifer Lee, who serves on Unicode's emoji subcommittee.
“In many ways it's because people are trying to say the word 'I'. They are trying to represent themselves in emojiland," she added.
In an effort to include a wider spectrum of people, the new emojis will include more interracial couples, gender inclusive couples, and people with disabilities
171 of the 230 variants for 2019 are for skin tone and gender.
The new emojis representing people with disabilities include prosthetic limbs, two different wheelchairs, a cane, a hearing aid, sign language, a guide dog, and a service dog.
Among other notable new emojis in 2019 are an Orangutan, a sari, a Hindu temple, a diya lamp, a rickshaw, and a drop of blood
New emojis typically start to show on mobile phones in September or October, New York Times reported.
Check out the full list of new emojis here.