Page History: Screen reader does not announce the changes

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    • Severity 3 - Minor
    • Accessibility

      Issue Summary

      On the "Page History", the "Key" and the changes made in the page are not announced by the screen reader.

      Steps to Reproduce

      1. Open Confluence Data Center homepage.
      2. Open a page that has at least two versions containing text additions, deletions, and formatting changes. 
      3. Navigate to and activate "More options" button > Select "Page History". 
      4. Check any two versions checkbox and activate "Compare selected versions" button. 
      5. Using a screen reader, navigate to the "Key" at the top and page content which has changes.
      6. Observe that the comparison difference for the changes made are not announced by the screen reader.

      Screen Recording

      Screen Recording 2026-10-01 at 12.39.04 PM.mov

      Actual Results

      Colors green for added line, red and strikethrough for deleted line and blue for formatting change are used to identify the comparison difference in the Key and on the main page content visually; however, these changes or updates shown on the page are not announced by the screen reader.

      This will make it difficult for screen reader users to distinguish changes or updates made within the text of the page and understanding the Key.

      Expected Results

      All content changes must be programmatically determinable by assistive technologies. Screen reader users should receive clear context about what was modified without relying on visual formatting or color.

      In this scenario, we can apply following changes -

      • Deleted text should be conveyed as deleted using semantic <del> element, or visually-hidden text like <span class="sr-only"> Deleted: </span>.
      • Added text should be conveyed as inserted/added using semantic <ins> element, or visually-hidden text like <span class="sr-only"> Added: </span>.
      • Formatting changes can be indicated by the visually-hidden text like <span class="sr-only"> Formatting changed: </span>).

      Workaround

      Currently there is no known workaround for this behavior. A workaround will be added here when available.

      Environment

      MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)
      macOS - Tahoe 26.7.1
      Windows - 11
      Chrome - 153.0.8010.48 (Official Build) (64-bit)
      Microsoft Edge - 153.0.4234.32 (Official build) (64-bit)
      Safari - Version 26.6.2
      JAWS - Version 2026
      NVDA - Version 2026.2
      VoiceOver - Version Latest

              Assignee:
              Unassigned
              Reporter:
              Neha S V S T
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                Created:
                Updated: