aria-hidden must not be on the document body
Rule
aria-hidden-body· ARIA · impact critical · Static + live
Why it matters
aria-hidden on the body (or html) hides the entire page from assistive technology — the screen reader announces nothing at all.
How to fix
Remove aria-hidden from body/html; hide only the specific subtree you mean to (e.g. content behind a modal).
Example
<body aria-hidden="true"><h1>Hi</h1></body>
<body><h1>Hi</h1></body>
WCAG success criteria
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value — Level A
Every UI component must expose a correct name, role, and (where relevant) state/value to assistive technology.
Standards
This rule contributes to the following standards:
WCAG A EN 301 549
| Standard | Criteria |
|---|---|
| EN 301 549 | 9.4.1.2 |