Accessibility API Reference
SemanticProperties (Attached Properties)
Set on any VisualElement to provide screen reader context.
| Property | Purpose |
|---|---|
SemanticProperties.Description |
Accessible name read by screen reader |
SemanticProperties.Hint |
Extra context (e.g. "Double tap to activate") |
SemanticProperties.HeadingLevel |
Heading landmark: None, Level1–Level9 |
XAML
<Button Text="Save"
SemanticProperties.Description="Save your changes"
SemanticProperties.Hint="Double tap to save the current document" />
<Label Text="Settings"
SemanticProperties.HeadingLevel="Level1" />C#
var btn = new Button { Text = "Save" };
SemanticProperties.SetDescription(btn, "Save your changes");
SemanticProperties.SetHint(btn, "Double tap to save the current document");
var heading = new Label { Text = "Settings" };
SemanticProperties.SetHeadingLevel(heading, SemanticHeadingLevel.Level1);Programmatic Focus & Announcements
SetSemanticFocus
Move screen reader focus to an element after a UI change:
errorLabel.Text = "Username is required";
errorLabel.SetSemanticFocus();SemanticScreenReader.Announce
Push a live announcement without moving focus:
SemanticScreenReader.Announce("File uploaded successfully");Use Announce for transient status updates. Use SetSemanticFocus when the user
must interact with the target element.
AutomationProperties
Control whether an element appears in the accessibility tree.
| Property | Effect |
|---|---|
AutomationProperties.IsInAccessibleTree |
false hides the element from screen readers |
AutomationProperties.ExcludedWithChildren |
true hides the element and all descendants |
<!-- Decorative image — hide from screen reader -->
<Image Source="bg.png"
AutomationProperties.IsInAccessibleTree="false" />
<!-- Container with purely decorative content -->
<Grid AutomationProperties.ExcludedWithChildren="true">
<Image Source="pattern.png" />
</Grid>Deprecated AutomationProperties → SemanticProperties
| Deprecated | Replacement |
|---|---|
AutomationProperties.Name |
SemanticProperties.Description |
AutomationProperties.HelpText |
SemanticProperties.Hint |
Avoid the deprecated properties in new code. They may not work consistently across platforms and will be removed in a future release.