We've come a long way from the yellow smiley face.
The humble emoji, originally a set of basic symbols designed to add visual flair to text-based messages, has become a way for people to express their identity. And with the latest crop of tiny icons, smartphones around the world are about to become much more inclusive.
Disabled individuals will see a wide range of new emojis devoted to them, including wheelchairs, canes, hearings aids, and prosthetic limbs. These emojis were proposed by Apple to better represent individuals with disabilities.
"One in seven people around the world has some form of disability," Apple wrote in its proposal. "Adding emoji emblematic to users' life experiences helps foster a diverse culture that is inclusive of disability." Apple said it developed the proposed emojis in collaboration with the American Council of the Blind and the National Association of the Deaf, among other organizations.