Case ce-0054 · Scenario scenario-accessibility-aria

ARIA attributes on contenteditable are not properly announced

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

Phenomenon

When ARIA attributes (like role, aria-label, aria-describedby) are applied to contenteditable regions, screen readers may not properly announce them in Safari. The accessibility information is lost.

Reproduction example

  1. Create a contenteditable div with ARIA attributes:
    <div contenteditable role="textbox" aria-label="Editor" aria-describedby="help-text">
      Content here
    </div>
  2. Enable VoiceOver.
  3. Navigate to the contenteditable.
  4. Observe what is announced.

Observed behavior

  • In Safari on macOS, ARIA attributes may not be announced by screen readers.
  • The role and label information is lost.
  • Users relying on screen readers may not understand the purpose of the element.

Expected behavior

  • ARIA attributes should be properly announced by screen readers.
  • Role, label, and description should be communicated.
  • The element should be accessible to assistive technologies.

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
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0 events
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