# aria-hidden='true' must not be present on the document body. > Canonical HTML version: https://rocketvalidator.com/accessibility-validation/accesslint/0.16/aria/aria-hidden-body > Attribution: Rocket Validator (https://rocketvalidator.com) > License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) When `aria-hidden="true"` is set on the `` element, the entire page becomes invisible to assistive technologies. Screen readers will not announce any content, links, buttons, or form controls on the page. The result is a completely blank experience for users who rely on these tools. This typically happens by accident. A common cause is JavaScript that toggles `aria-hidden="true"` on the `` element when opening a modal dialog, then fails to remove the attribute when the modal closes. A bug in that toggle logic, or an unhandled error, can leave the attribute stuck on the `` permanently. ## Why this matters Screen reader users navigate the page through an accessibility tree built from the DOM. The `aria-hidden="true"` attribute removes an element and all of its descendants from that tree. When applied to ``, every element on the page is removed. There is nothing left for the screen reader to interact with: no headings, no links, no text, no form fields. The user has no way to perceive or operate any part of the page. This is a failure of [WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A)](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/name-role-value.html), which requires that user interface components expose their name, role, and state to assistive technologies. When the entire document is hidden, no component meets this requirement. ## How to fix it Remove `aria-hidden="true"` from the `` element. This fix is mechanical: find the attribute and delete it. If the attribute is being set by JavaScript (for example, as part of a modal open/close pattern), fix the script so that it never applies `aria-hidden` to ``. Instead, apply `aria-hidden="true"` to specific sibling containers of the modal. When the modal closes, remove the attribute from those containers. Steps: 1. Check the rendered HTML for `aria-hidden="true"` on the `` tag. 2. If it exists in the source HTML, remove it. 3. If it is being added by JavaScript, find the code responsible and change it to target specific elements rather than ``. 4. Verify that the attribute is removed when any modal or overlay is closed. ## Examples ### Incorrect: `aria-hidden="true"` on the body ```html

Welcome

This content is invisible to screen readers.

``` The entire page is hidden from assistive technologies. Screen reader users experience a blank page. ### Correct: no `aria-hidden` on the body ```html

Welcome

This content is available to all users.

``` ### Correct: hiding background content behind a modal When a modal dialog is open, hide the page content behind it by targeting a specific wrapper element, not the ``. ```html ``` When the modal closes, the script should remove `aria-hidden="true"` from `#main-content` and remove or hide the dialog element. This keeps background content hidden from screen readers only while the modal is active, without ever touching the `` element.