Deaf Person Emoji
U+1F9CF:deaf_person:Skin tonesGender variantsAbout Deaf Person đ§
Deaf Person () is part of the People & Body group in Unicode. Added in Unicode E12.0. Type on GitHub and Slack to use it. Click copy above to grab it, paste it anywhere.
Works in iMessage, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Instagram, Twitter, Gmail, and every app that supports Unicode. Pick a skin tone above to customize it.
Often associated with accessibility, deaf, ear, and 3 more keywords.
Meaning varies across cultures, see cultural notes below.
Scroll down for the full story: meaning, trends, combos, and more.
How it looks
What does it mean?
A person gesturing with their index finger between ear and mouth. This is the ASL sign for the word "deaf," and according to Apple's 2018 proposal to Unicode, a similar gesture is used in 18 of 31 documented global sign languages. đ§ is the gender-neutral base of the Deaf Person family, which also includes đ§ââī¸ and đ§ââī¸.
The emoji was approved in Unicode 12.0 (2019) as part of a broader accessibility set that shipped alongside đĻģ (ear with hearing aid), đĻŽ (guide dog), đĻŧ and đĻŊ (wheelchairs), and đĻž and đĻŋ (mechanical arm and leg). It was the first time the emoji keyboard directly addressed disability representation, and Apple built the proposal in collaboration with the National Association of the Deaf, the American Council of the Blind, and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
In everyday use, đ§ covers three overlapping purposes. It's an identity marker for Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. It's an accessibility flag in discussions about captioning, interpreters, and inclusion. And since late 2023, it's become the unofficial mascot of the "mewing" brainrot meme, usually paired with đ¤Ģ to signal "can't talk." The Deaf community has pushed back against that appropriation, with advocates calling it insensitive.
On platforms, đ§ splits cleanly into two audiences. Deaf and hard-of-hearing users treat it as a serious identity marker, especially in bios, pinned posts, and content tagged for International Week of Deaf People (late September). You'll see it paired with đ¤ for Deaf pride, with đĻģ for hearing aid users, or with đē when asking for captions.
Gen Z has a very different relationship with it. Starting September 2023, after TikToker @juliatos posted a video set to Lumi Athena's "ICEWHORE!", đ§đ¤Ģ became shorthand for "I'm mewing, can't speak." The gesture in the meme (shush, then trace the jawline) riffs on the looksmaxxing trend that promises a sharper jaw if you keep your tongue glued to the roof of your mouth. By November 2023 the format had gone absolutely nuclear: one video by @pablos_fat captioned "Why don't you guys talk in class?" pulled over 13 million plays.
Google Trends data captures the split well. đ§ hovered at a search interest of 2 to 4 from 2020 through late 2023, then jumped to 24 in Q1 2024 as the meme peaked. đĻģ never moved, because mewing doesn't need a hearing aid.
It's a person signing the word "deaf" in ASL, with an index finger moving from the ear to the mouth. It's used for Deaf identity, accessibility advocacy, sign-language contexts, and (since late 2023) as part of the mewing meme format đ§đ¤Ģ.
The Deaf & Sign Language Family
What it means from...
If a crush uses đ§, it's almost never flirty. They're either sharing that they're Deaf or hard of hearing (take that seriously), or they're pulling a mewing bit. If you're not sure which, the surrounding text will tell you fast. Actual Deaf people don't usually lead with the emoji as a punchline.
Inside a relationship, đ§ usually signals an accessibility request or logistics: "movie night, can we turn on captions?" or "this venue has no interpreter, skip." If your partner uses it in their bio, it's an identity marker, not an invitation for pity.
With friends, đ§ lives in three places: awareness posts during Deaf Awareness Week, practical accessibility check-ins ("does this bar have subtitles on the TV?"), and the mewing bit. The last one is clearly a joke in context, usually sent as đ§đ¤Ģ.
In family threads, đ§ tends to come up around medical conversations (hearing tests, cochlear implant decisions) or generational differences in how Deafness is framed. Older relatives often see it as a disability label, younger ones as a cultural identity. The emoji serves both.
Professionally, đ§ is used to flag accessibility needs: "we need ASL interpreters for this town hall đ§" or "can we add captions to the recording?" It's neutral and clear. Do not use it in Slack as a "I'm ignoring you" joke to a hearing colleague.
In bios and public posts from strangers, đ§ is usually an identity marker. On TikTok comments, it's usually mewing. If it sits alone in a bio next to đ¤, they're Deaf and that's how they want you to read them.
Emoji combos
Origin story
In March 2018, Apple submitted a 12-page document to the Unicode Consortium titled "Proposal for New Accessibility Emoji" (L2/18-080). It was unusually detailed for a corporate emoji proposal. Apple didn't draft it alone. They built it with the National Association of the Deaf, the American Council of the Blind, and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, across four categories: Blind and Low Vision, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Physical Motor, and Hidden Disabilities.
The deaf person proposal specifically called out that the gesture Apple picked, an index finger pointing from the ear toward the mouth, appears in roughly 18 of 31 global sign languages as the sign for "deaf." That's why it made the cut over more regional alternatives. Time covered the filing as a milestone moment: the first time a major tech company had pushed formally for disability representation in Unicode.
The Consortium approved the set in early 2019. Apple shipped the emojis in iOS 13.2 that September, coinciding with World Emoji Day rollout coverage. Google, Samsung, and Microsoft followed within months. Unlike most emoji debates (taco? kimchi? melting face?), this one moved from proposal to keyboards in under 18 months, unusually fast for Unicode.
Approved in Unicode 12.0 / Emoji 12.0 (2019) as codepoint . The CLDR short name is . Supports the five Fitzpatrick skin tone modifiers plus two ZWJ-based gender variants: đ§ââī¸ () and đ§ââī¸ (). The gender-neutral base was part of a Unicode-wide shift after 2019 toward treating the base codepoint as fully neutral rather than defaulting to male-leaning art. Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft all ship đ§ as a fully androgynous figure in current builds.
Design history
- 2018Apple files L2/18-080 with Unicode, co-signed with NAD, ACB, and the Cerebral Palsy Foundationâ
- 2019Unicode 12.0 approves đ§ alongside đĻģ, đĻŽ, đĻŧ, đĻŊ, đĻž, đĻŋ in the accessibility setâ
- 2019Apple ships the accessibility emojis in iOS 13.2 (September), coinciding with World Emoji Day rollout pressâ
- 2022CODA wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards, first Best Picture with a predominantly Deaf castâ
- 2023TikToker @juliatos posts the first "Bye Bye / ICEWHORE!" mewing video (Sept 4), kicking off the đ§đ¤Ģ meme waveâ
- 2024FDA authorizes AirPods Pro 2 as OTC hearing aids, the first software-only OTC hearing aid approvalâ
Around the world
The gesture in the emoji is the ASL sign for "deaf." Apple's proposal noted it's shared with roughly 18 of 31 documented sign languages, which is why they picked it. But sign languages are not universal. The World Federation of the Deaf estimates there are more than 300 distinct sign languages in use globally, with around 70 million Deaf people worldwide, over 80% of them in developing countries.
In British Sign Language (BSL), a one-finger gesture near the ear can mean "hearing," not "deaf," which creates real cross-cultural confusion when the emoji crosses borders. BSL's sign for deaf uses two fingers tapping the ear. Japanese Sign Language, Auslan, and LSF (French Sign Language) all use different conventions entirely.
Deaf culture itself varies by country. The distinction between "Deaf" (cultural identity, capital D) and "deaf" (audiological condition, lowercase d) is strongest in the U.S., where Gallaudet University and the National Association of the Deaf have anchored a recognized linguistic-minority identity since the 1970s. In many countries, medical models of deafness (implants, hearing aids) still dominate over cultural ones, though the International Week of Deaf People campaign is gradually shifting that globally. The 2025 theme: "Sign Language Rights are Human Rights."
That combo is the "Bye Bye / ICEWHORE!" mewing meme from TikTok, roughly "can't talk, I'm mewing." It took off in September 2023 and peaked in Q1 2024. Deaf advocates have criticized it for reducing a representation emoji to a jawline bit.
No. Apple picked it because roughly 18 of 31 global sign languages use a similar ear-to-mouth gesture for "deaf." But British Sign Language uses a two-finger tap, and in BSL a one-finger ear gesture can mean "hearing," not "deaf."
Gender variants
đ§ is the gender-neutral base. đ§ââī¸ (Deaf Woman) and đ§ââī¸ (Deaf Man) are ZWJ sequences that add a gender modifier. All three were approved together in Unicode 12.0 (2019). Because the emoji represents an identity rather than a gendered action, the gender-neutral form sees the heaviest use, amplified further by the mewing meme which picked the base codepoint as its canonical form.
Popularity ranking
Search interest
Often confused with
Shushing face (đ¤Ģ) means "be quiet" or "keep it a secret." đ§ is signing the word "deaf" in ASL. They look vaguely similar at thumbnail size (finger near face) and the mewing meme pairs them on purpose, but the gestures and meanings are unrelated.
Shushing face (đ¤Ģ) means "be quiet" or "keep it a secret." đ§ is signing the word "deaf" in ASL. They look vaguely similar at thumbnail size (finger near face) and the mewing meme pairs them on purpose, but the gestures and meanings are unrelated.
Person raising hand (đ) is a full raised arm asking for attention or volunteering. đ§ is a single finger tracing from ear to mouth. At small sizes some Android platforms make them look surprisingly close.
Person raising hand (đ) is a full raised arm asking for attention or volunteering. đ§ is a single finger tracing from ear to mouth. At small sizes some Android platforms make them look surprisingly close.
đ§ is a person signing the word "deaf" (identity, cultural). đĻģ is an ear fitted with a hearing aid (assistive tech, audiological). They were both shipped in Unicode 12.0 as part of the accessibility set, but they answer different questions.
đ§ is the gender-neutral base. đ§ââī¸ adds a female modifier via ZWJ, đ§ââī¸ adds a male one. Modern Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft builds render đ§ as fully androgynous. Older platforms may render the base as male-leaning, which is a stale font, not the intended design.
Do's and don'ts
- âUse it for self-identification, accessibility requests, or Deaf awareness campaigns
- âCapitalize "Deaf" when you mean the cultural identity, not the audiological condition
- âPair it with đ¤ for Deaf pride, đĻģ for hearing-aid users, or đē for caption requests
- âTake it seriously when someone uses it in their bio, even if the mewing meme has muddied things
- âUse it as a joke for "I'm ignoring you" to a hearing colleague
- âAssume every Deaf person wants hearing, implants, or hearing aids; many view Deafness as identity, not deficit
- âForce the mewing meme into a serious thread someone started about their own Deafness
- âSay "I'm sorry" when someone identifies as Deaf, it's not a condolence emoji
Yes, when you're using it to request captions, call out accessibility, or support Deaf awareness campaigns. It's not appropriate as a joke for ignoring someone, and the mewing meme usage has gotten pushback from the Deaf community.
Caption ideas
Aesthetic sets
Fun facts
- âĸApple's original accessibility emoji proposal was 12 pages long and covered 13 new emoji concepts. It's one of the most detailed single-company proposals ever filed with Unicode.
- âĸCODA (2021), the first Best Picture winner with a predominantly Deaf cast, was distributed by Apple, the same company that proposed the deaf emoji three years earlier. Apple also went on to produce Deaf President Now! with Nyle DiMarco.
- âĸThe WHO estimates that 1.5 billion people live with some hearing loss, 430 million with disabling hearing loss, and that number will exceed 700 million by 2050. Unaddressed hearing loss costs the global economy about US$980 billion annually.
- âĸThe World Federation of the Deaf recognizes over 300 distinct sign languages globally, used by roughly 70 million Deaf people, with more than 80% living in developing countries.
- âĸThe "Bye Bye" song driving the mewing meme is Lumi Athena's "ICEWHORE!" (phonk, slowed). @pablos_fat's version captioned "Why don't you guys talk in class?" cleared 13 million plays in two months.
- âĸIn September 2024, AirPods Pro 2 became the first FDA-authorized OTC hearing aid software. At $249 they undercut traditional devices by several thousand dollars, though the Deaf community generally views them as hearing-loss assistive tech, not Deaf-community tech.
- âĸInternational Week of Deaf People 2025 ran September 22 to 28, with the theme "Sign Language Rights are Human Rights." IDSL (International Day of Sign Languages) falls within it on September 23.
Common misinterpretations
- âĸAfter the mewing meme, younger users sometimes default to reading đ§ as "can't talk" regardless of context, which flattens its meaning in serious threads.
- âĸIn British Sign Language, a similar one-finger ear gesture can mean "hearing," not "deaf," so the emoji can read as the opposite to BSL users.
- âĸSome users read đ§ as a listening cue ("I'm listening"), probably conflating it with đ. The emoji is signing, not listening.
In pop culture
- âĸTime magazine framed Apple's 2018 proposal as the first formal push from a major tech company for disability representation in Unicode.
- âĸCODA's Best Picture win and Troy Kotsur's Supporting Actor Oscar (first Deaf man to win an acting Oscar) made 2022 the highest-profile year for Deaf representation in mainstream media.
- âĸDeaf U on Netflix, produced by Nyle DiMarco, followed students at Gallaudet University and brought ASL and Deaf culture into mainstream streaming.
- âĸLumi Athena's "ICEWHORE!" (2023) became the soundtrack for the đ§đ¤Ģ mewing format, with the "Bye bye" lyric timed to the shushing gesture.
Trivia
For developers
- âĸBase codepoint: (Deaf Person). Gender variants are ZWJ sequences: add for Woman, for Man.
- âĸSkin tone modifier inserts immediately after the base: .
- âĸShortcode: on GitHub, Slack, Discord. CLDR: .
- âĸIf your platform supports Emoji 12.0 (iOS 13.2+, Android 10+, Windows 10 May 2019 Update), you should have the full accessibility set: đ§ đĻģ đĻŽ đĻŧ đĻŊ đĻž đĻŋ.
- âĸScreen readers announce đ§ as "deaf person." The gendered variants announce as "deaf woman" / "deaf man."
It was approved in Unicode 12.0 in early 2019 and shipped on iPhones in iOS 13.2 in September 2019. It came from Apple's 2018 accessibility emoji proposal, co-written with the National Association of the Deaf, American Council of the Blind, and Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
See the full Emoji Developer Tools guide for regex patterns, encoding helpers, and more.
When you see đ§, what's your first read?
Select all that apply
- Deaf Person Emoji (emojipedia.org)
- Apple Proposes New Accessibility Emojis (blog.emojipedia.org)
- Proposal for New Accessibility Emoji (L2/18-080) (unicode.org)
- Service Dog, Deaf Person, Couples added to 2019 Emoji List (blog.emojipedia.org)
- Apple reveals new 2019 emojis for World Emoji Day (blog.emojipedia.org)
- Deafness and hearing loss (WHO fact sheet) (who.int)
- World Federation of the Deaf FAQs (wfdeaf.org)
- International Week of Deaf People 2025 (deafumbrella.com)
- Bye Bye Mewing Shh, Know Your Meme (knowyourmeme.com)
- Mewing trend has turned to Emojis, but people are calling it insensitive (thefocus.news)
- Mewing slang definition, Merriam-Webster (merriam-webster.com)
- Apple's CODA wins historic Oscar for Best Picture (apple.com)
- CODA brings home the Oscar for best picture, NPR (npr.org)
- FDA approves Apple AirPods as hearing aids, Washington Post (washingtonpost.com)
- Apple introduces groundbreaking health features (2024) (apple.com)
- Are the New Hearing Aids & Deaf Sign Emojis Accurate? (hearmeoutcc.com)
- What does D, d, and d/Deaf mean? (startasl.com)
- Prosthetics, Guide Dogs and Wheelchairs: Apple's Accessibility Emoji, Time (time.com)
- Gallaudet, International Day of Sign Languages (gallaudet.edu)
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