The emoji with the unicode 1F9CF is known as the
Deaf Person emoji. It is not a combined unicode, but a standalone representation. This emoji depicts a person with their hand cupped behind their ear, a universal gesture for deafness or hard-of-hearing. The emoji can be modified for gender and skin tone, with variations including
Deaf Man and
Deaf Woman.
The primary use of the Deaf Person emoji is to represent deafness or hard-of-hearing individuals. It is often used in conversations about hearing loss, deaf culture, or accessibility issues. It can also be used to indicate that someone didnt hear something, either literally or metaphorically, as in "I didnt catch that" or "That went over my head".
Beyond its literal interpretation, the Deaf Person emoji can be used to express a lack of understanding or awareness about a topic. For example, it could be used to indicate that someone is deaf to a particular issue, meaning they are ignoring it or unaware of it. It can also be used in a positive context to represent active listening or paying close attention, as the gesture can also be interpreted as someone leaning in to hear better.
The Deaf Person emoji is significant as it represents the inclusion and recognition of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in digital communication. Its introduction was widely celebrated for increasing visibility and representation for this community. However, its usage is not as widespread as some other emojis, likely due to its specific meaning.
Related emojis include the
Ear emoji, which can also be used to represent hearing or listening, and the Hearing Aid emoji. The
Person Gesturing No emoji, which depicts a person crossing their arms in an X shape, can be seen as a counterpart, representing refusal or denial in contrast to the Deaf Person emoji's representation of listening or understanding.
In terms of specific context or unique associations, the Deaf Person emoji is often used in discussions about accessibility and inclusivity, particularly on platforms like Twitter where such conversations are common. It is also used in the deaf community to self-identify or to indicate that someone else is deaf or hard-of-hearing.