macOS VoiceOver reads one of the (but not necessarily the most useful in a given context) names of the emoji. For example, gets read as “caterpillar”. However, importantly: there’s no distinction that it’s an emoji when read.
Caveats: I have no idea what JAWS does here. I’m not a visually impaired user, but have done a11y work in the past.
Too late to edit now, but just realized HN scrubbed the emoji. “…For example, <bug emoji used in OP> gets read…”
An object lesson in the problems of using emoji to actually convey meaning :)
It's a problem insofar as HN is, on purpose, stripping emoji. Which is a questionable choice...
It saves people from having to guess which subculture you come from, just so they can understand what a certain picture means for you. Emoji are very irritating for this reason: They are focused on the writer, and not the audience.