How to fix aria hidden focus on PrestaShop
Remove `aria-hidden="true"` from any element that contains focusable children (links, buttons, inputs), or remove those focusable children from the keyboard tab order so they cannot receive focus while hidden from assistive technology.
Steps for PrestaShop
- In your PrestaShop back office, go to Design → Theme & Logo → your active theme.
- Navigate to your theme directory on the server (typically `themes/<your-theme>/templates/`) and search for `aria-hidden` using your file manager or SSH: `grep -r 'aria-hidden' themes/<your-theme>/`.
- Open the relevant `.tpl` (Smarty) file, locate the `aria-hidden="true"` on the parent container, and fix the markup so no focusable element is a descendant.
- Clear the PrestaShop cache (Advanced Parameters → Performance → Clear Cache) and test on the storefront with axe DevTools.
What is aria hidden focus?
The `aria-hidden="true"` attribute tells screen readers to completely ignore an element and everything inside it — as if it doesn't exist. The problem arises when a focusable element (a button, link, or form field) lives inside that hidden container. Keyboard users can still tab into it, but screen-reader users hear nothing because the element has been silenced. This creates a "ghost focus" trap: the keyboard cursor lands on something invisible to assistive technology with no announcement, no label, and no way to understand what it does. WCAG Success Criterion 4.1.2 (Name, Role, Value) requires that all interactive UI components expose their name and role to assistive technology.
Screen-reader users — who are often blind or have low vision — can get stuck on focusable elements that their software cannot describe, making parts of your store completely unusable for them. This is a direct WCAG 2.1 Level A violation, the most severe tier, meaning it fails the baseline legal accessibility standard referenced in regulations like the ADA (US), EN 301 549 (EU), and the European Accessibility Act. Beyond legal risk, stores with accessibility barriers lose customers: roughly 1 in 4 adults has some disability, and inaccessible checkout flows directly reduce conversions. Automated accessibility tools (axe, Lighthouse, WAVE) flag this as a critical failure, which can surface in legal demand letters and audits.
See the complete Aria hidden focus guide for every platform and the full background.
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