---
title: role=text Without Focusable | Accessibility Rule
description: '"role=text" should have no focusable descendants'
source_url:
  html: https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/aria-text
  md: https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/aria-text/index.md
---
# Make sure role="text" is used on elements with no focusable descendants

Rule ID: aria-textUser Impact: minorGuidelines: Best Practices

The `role="text"` attribute is used to combine text across multiple DOM elements into a single announcement for assistive technologies like screen readers. This is useful when markup splits what should be read as one phrase.

## What is being tested?

The rule checks that elements with `role="text"` do not contain any focusable descendants (such as links, buttons, or form fields). Focusable elements inside a text role can create empty or confusing tab stops for keyboard users and screen readers.

## Correct markup example

    <h1><span role="text">Hello <br/>World</span></h1>

## Incorrect markup example

    <span role="text">
      <a href="/site.html">Not announced as link</a>
    </span>

## Explanation

When a text node is split by markup (for example, `<h1>Hello <span>World</span></h1>`), VoiceOver and other screen readers may treat it as two separate phrases. Wrapping them with `role="text"` makes them read as a single unit.

However, be careful: using `role="text"` overrides the roles of all descendant elements, including focusable elements. If a descendant is focusable (like a link), it will still be tabbable, but screen readers won’t announce its name, role, or value, resulting in an empty tab stop.

## Other Rules

Interested in other web accessibility rules? Please see these other rules:

- [aria-treeitem-name](https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/aria-treeitem-name)
- [empty-heading](https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/empty-heading)
- [empty-table-header](https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/empty-table-header)
- [heading-order](https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/heading-order)
- [image-redundant-alt](https://testingbot.com/support/accessibility/web/rules/image-redundant-alt)