[il-talk] Apple's Accessability Emoji

[Kelly Pierce]

In the last few days, Apple proposed new emoji to the worldwide
standards body of images that reflect accessibility. Two of these
images show a male and a female figure with white canes. I became
suspicious when I noticed that the only blindness organization
consulted by Apple in press reports was the American Council of the
Blind. A sighted friend examined the emoji’s and found the canes
appear to only extend to the elbows of the blind people, who appear to
be age 12. This cane length is below the sternum, which is the minimum
cane length advocated by the Association for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. ACB regularly
affiliates with AER.  The National Federation of the Blind recommends
that white canes extend past the chin.  It is sad Apple has brazenly
picked a political side in the white canes and travel debate rather
than develop an image representative of independent blind travel. The
blind people in the emoji’s are holding really short white canes with
red tips and a black golf grip with the nylon cord around their
wrists, which can often be a safety hazard. If blind people have their
canes caught in the doors of rapid transit or light rail trains, they
could be dragged to their deaths when the train rapidly accelerates
rather than having the cane just knocked out of their hand if a strap
is not wrapped around their wrist. It sets a poor example of cane use
to the public and blind people everywhere. I will ask Apple to
withdraw its submission and create new emoji that actually
demonstrates safe independent travel.  I hope the national office will
examine the emoji and follow up with Apple about this imagery.

Kelly