🧑🦽
Person in Manual Wheelchair
PUR-suhn in MAN-yoo-uhl WHEEL-chair
Definitions
1
People · Accessibility
Common
Represents a person using a manual wheelchair for mobility. Used to indicate disability, accessibility needs, or discussions about mobility challenges and inclusion.
Used in conversations about accessibility, representation of people with disabilities, or to identify oneself as a wheelchair user.
The new building has ramps everywhere 🧑🦽 accessibility done right!
Social media post about accessibility
As a 🧑🦽 I appreciate when events mention accessibility options in advance.
Comment on event planning
Part of Unicode's effort to increase disability representation in emoji. Promotes inclusion and visibility of people with mobility impairments.
2
Sports · Paralympic
Uncommon
Used to reference wheelchair sports, Paralympic athletes, or adaptive sports competitions involving manual wheelchair users.
Often used during Paralympic Games or when discussing wheelchair basketball, rugby, racing, or other adaptive sports.
Watching the 🧑🦽 basketball finals tonight! Such amazing athletes!
Social media during Paralympic Games
Highlights the athletic achievements of wheelchair users and promotes awareness of Paralympic sports.
Evolution Timeline
2019
Introduction of wheelchair emojis including 🧑🦽 as part of Unicode 12.0's focus on representation and inclusion.
Disability advocacy groups' push for better representation in digital communication.
2021
Increased usage during Tokyo Paralympic Games, highlighting athletic achievements of wheelchair users.
Global visibility of Paralympic athletes during delayed 2020 Games.
Cultural Context
Represents a shift toward disability inclusion in digital communication, part of broader efforts to make emoji more representative of human diversity.
The neutral gender presentation (neither explicitly male nor female) reflects evolving approaches to gender inclusivity in digital representation.
Manual wheelchairs have been used since the 6th century, but only gained digital representation in emoji form in 2019, highlighting historical invisibility of disability.
Part of Unicode's efforts to create more inclusive emoji sets, responding to advocacy from disability rights organizations for better digital representation.
Regional Variations
United Kingdom
Often used in relation to the Equality Act and NHS accessibility discussions.
United States
Often used in contexts of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance and disability rights advocacy.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Used more functionally to indicate accessibility needs or services rather than as identity representation.
Gen_Z: Commonly used for identity representation and in activism contexts around disability rights and inclusion on TikTok and Instagram.
Older: Less frequently used, but adopted when discussing accessibility needs or services for aging populations.
Millennials: Often used in professional contexts when discussing workplace accessibility and inclusion initiatives.
Common Combinations
🧑🦽♿
Accessibility services or facilities for wheelchair users.
Used to highlight accessible locations or services that accommodate wheelchair users.
🧑🦽🏆
Celebrating achievements of wheelchair athletes or Paralympic victories.
Often used during Paralympic Games or when highlighting adaptive sports accomplishments.
🧑🦽❤️
Support for or love of someone who uses a wheelchair, or pride in wheelchair identity.
Used to express solidarity with wheelchair users or personal pride in disability identity.
🧑🦽🚫🚶
Inaccessible spaces that exclude wheelchair users.
Used to critique locations or events that aren't wheelchair accessible.