Why do some users type in emotes?

[pure vale]

Some users find it easier to communicate this way.

[cold wharf]

Some users who send messages using emotes may have difficulty forming words and/or sentences for various reasons, whether anxiety, brain fog, exhaustion, skill regression, etc. Emotes can supply a “word bank” and may lessen the strain or difficulty of forming sentences and allow these users to participate in chat.

While some may self-describe the experience using the term ‘non-verbal’, it’s important to note that there are ongoing discussions in the autistic community about the use of that term for people who experience temporary loss of verbal speech, due to the term’s potential to cause harm to parts of the community.

But you’re not talking on Discord, it’s writing.

Terms for these experiences are in flux, and ‘scribal’ may be substituted for any use of the word ‘verbal,’ in the above information. Both terms are limited by their technical or literal meanings, as most people who use emotes to communicate experience some difficulty with the formation of cohesive sentences or thoughts.

Isn’t this inaccessible?

Many emotes are difficult for screen readers to accurately comprehend, so we have developed a set of emotes that should be used on the server. These emotes have been developed with screen reader compatibility in mind, as well as accessibility for users with dyslexia, migraines, and eye strain. Members should not use word emotes from other servers.

This is not a perfect solution, as we cannot guarantee compatibility with all screen readers. It is, however, a compromise that has worked well for the majority of users on the server.

Will you add letter emotes?

No, because that will prevent words from being read aloud by screen readers. Please do not spell words using standard emoji or letters from other servers.

I need an emote that you don’t have!

Please feel free to suggest one in #ask-and-suggest or #open-a-ticket (general help)! If your suggestion makes sense for the community and is in high demand, we will consider adding it.