OpenParable
Skip to content
← Back to skills

Aria Hidden Body

Design
aria-hidden-body

Aria Hidden Body is an Agent Skill for design published in the thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist repository on GitHub: a SKILL.md instruction file an AI agent can load to do this task.

Use when reviewing rendered HTML, interactive components, or design-system patterns related to Do not use aria-hidden on the document body. Check native semantics first, then inspect keyboard behavior, focus flow, accessible names, and screen-reader output where relevant.

View on GitHub ↗
QUICK START

How to use this skill

Bring this guide into your coding agent with a prompt tailored to the tool you use.

  1. Open your project in Codex.
  2. Copy and paste the prompt below.
  3. Review files and risks before approving any action.
Prompt to paste
Inspect the Agent Skill at https://github.com/thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist/blob/HEAD/skills/aria-hidden-body/SKILL.md and all supporting files. Report provenance, permissions, scripts, dependencies, and security risks. Propose an exact installation into .agents/skills/aria-hidden-body, but wait for my approval before writing files or running scripts.

Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use.

Do not use aria-hidden on the document body

Setting aria-hidden="true" on the body effectively silences the entire application for screen reader users, rendering the site completely unusable.

Quick Reference

  • The <body> element should never have aria-hidden="true"
  • Hiding the body makes the entire page invisible to assistive technologies
  • Often happens accidentally when managing modal states

Check

Check if the <body> element has aria-hidden="true" applied at any point in the lifecycle.

Fix

Remove aria-hidden="true" from the <body> and use it only on specific background containers when modals are open.

Explain

Explain the catastrophic impact of hiding the body element from assistive technologies.

Code Review

Review the rendered markup and interactive states that affect Do not use aria-hidden on the document body. Flag exact elements, roles, labels, focus behavior, or keyboard interactions that violate the rule, and note how to verify the fix with browser accessibility tooling or assistive tech.

For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance, see references/rule.md.

Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/en/rules/accessibility/aria-hidden-body