[alistairSH]

Looks at the source, in this instance, the emoji is not accessible. It's text in the paragraph, just like the actually words. The author is relying on tools like Jaws/NVDA correctly translating a graphic into spoken word.

There are ways to add emojis in an accessible fashion. You'd have to treat them like images and add alt text or some aria attributes to ensure the screen-reader interprets it correctly. Or, use predefined Unicode verisons.

Neither was done here and Wired should be ashamed of themselves for not even making an effort.