Case ce-0015 · Scenario scenario-accessibility-announcements

Screen readers do not announce changes in contenteditable regions

OS: macOS Ubuntu 22.04 Device: Desktop or Laptop Any Browser: Safari 120.0 Keyboard: US Status: draft
accessibility screen-reader aria safari

Phenomenon

When content changes in a contenteditable region (text is typed, deleted, or formatted), screen readers do not announce these changes to users. This makes it difficult for users relying on assistive technologies to understand what is happening in the editor.

Reproduction example

  1. Create a contenteditable div with appropriate ARIA attributes.
  2. Enable VoiceOver (macOS) or NVDA (Windows).
  3. Focus the contenteditable region.
  4. Type some text or delete text.
  5. Observe what the screen reader announces.

Observed behavior

  • In Safari with VoiceOver, changes to contenteditable regions are not announced.
  • The screen reader may not indicate when formatting is applied or removed.
  • Selection changes may not be announced.

Expected behavior

  • Screen readers should announce when text is inserted or deleted.
  • Formatting changes should be announced.
  • Selection changes should be announced.
  • The current state of the editor should be accessible to screen reader users.

Playground for this case

Use the reported environment as a reference and record what happens in your environment while interacting with the editable area.

Reported environment
OS: macOS Ubuntu 22.04
Device: Desktop or Laptop Any
Browser: Safari 120.0
Keyboard: US
Your environment

Use this editable area to reproduce the described case.

Event log
Use this log together with the case description when filing or updating an issue.
0 events
Interact with the editable area to see events here.