diff --git a/client/views/comments/comment_item.html b/client/views/comments/comment_item.html
index 2d6cd8351..919e59d9a 100644
--- a/client/views/comments/comment_item.html
+++ b/client/views/comments/comment_item.html
@@ -7,16 +7,16 @@
       <div class="comment-content">
         <div class="comment-actions {{#if upvoted}}upvoted{{else}}not-upvoted{{/if}} {{#if downvoted}}downvoted{{else}}not-downvoted{{/if}}">
           <a class="upvote" href="#">
-            <i class="icon-up"></i>
+            <i class="icon-up" aria-hidden="true"></i>
             <span>{{_ "upvote"}}</span>
           </a>
           <a class="downvote" href="#">
-            <i class="icon-down"></i>
+            <i class="icon-down" aria-hidden="true"></i>
             <span>{{_ "downvote"}}</span>
           </a>
         </div>
         <div class="comment-meta">
-          <div class="user-avatar avatar-medium">{{> avatar userId=userId shape="circle"}}</div>
+          <div class="user-avatar avatar-medium" aria-hidden="true">{{> avatar userId=userId shape="circle"}}</div>
           <a class="comment-username" href="{{profileUrl}}">{{authorName}}</a>
           <span class="comment-time">{{timeAgo ago}},</span>
           <span class="points">{{upvotes}}</span> <span class="unit">points </span>
diff --git a/client/views/comments/comment_list.html b/client/views/comments/comment_list.html
index 0772006b0..25f6ba1ff 100644
--- a/client/views/comments/comment_list.html
+++ b/client/views/comments/comment_list.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <template name="comment_list">
-  <ul class="comments comment-list">
+  <ul class="comments comment-list" aria-live="polite">
     {{#each child_comments}}
       {{> UI.dynamic template=comment_item}}
     {{/each}}
diff --git a/client/views/comments/comment_reply.html b/client/views/comments/comment_reply.html
index 0adf1df6f..9074b7aab 100644
--- a/client/views/comments/comment_reply.html
+++ b/client/views/comments/comment_reply.html
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     {{/with}}
 
     {{#with comment}}
-      <ul class="selected-comment">
+      <ul class="selected-comment" aria-live="polite">
        {{> UI.dynamic template=comment_item}}
       </ul>
     {{/with}}
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_admin.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_admin.html
index 4d2979acb..d7ba0c313 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_admin.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_admin.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <template name="postAdmin">
   {{#if isAdmin}}
-    <div class="post-meta-item">
+    <div class="post-meta-item" aria-live="off">
       {{#if showApprove}}
         | <a href="#" class="approve-link goto-edit">{{_ "approve"}}</a>
       {{/if}}
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_avatars.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_avatars.html
index c9a0eabd0..eacd47fd0 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_avatars.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_avatars.html
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 <template name="postAvatars">
-  <a href="{{profileUrl userId}}" class="avatar-link avatar-small author-avatar">
+  <a href="{{profileUrl userId}}" class="avatar-link avatar-small author-avatar" aria-hidden="true">
     {{> avatar userId=userId shape="circle"}}
   </a>
   {{#if commenters}}
     <div class="post-commenters">
     {{#each commenters}}
-      <a href="{{profileUrl this}}" class="avatar-link avatar-small commenter-avatar">
+      <a href="{{profileUrl this}}" class="avatar-link avatar-small commenter-avatar" aria-hidden="true">
         {{> avatar userId=this shape="circle"}}
       </a>
     {{/each}}
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_discuss.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_discuss.html
index d9c495b66..ac904a227 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_discuss.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_discuss.html
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <template name="postDiscuss">
   <a class="discuss-link go-to-comments action" href="/posts/{{_id}}" title="{{_ 'discuss'}}">
-    <i class="action-icon icon-comment"></i>
+    <i class="action-icon icon-comment" aria-hidden="true"></i>
     <span class="action-count">{{commentCount}}</span>
+    <span class="sr-only"> {{_ "comments"}}</span>
   </a>
 </template>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html
index b89ca1871..37bd220e7 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_info.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <template name="postInfo">
-  <div class="post-meta-item">
+  <div class="post-meta-item" aria-live="off">
     <span class="points">{{baseScore}}</span>
     <span class="unit">{{pointsUnitDisplayText}}</span>
     {{#if postedAt}}<span class="post-time">{{timeAgo postedAt}}</span>{{/if}}
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_rank.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_rank.html
index 9f10a3234..42680d728 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_rank.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_rank.html
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <template name="postRank">
-  <div class="post-rank-inner"><span>{{oneBasedRank}}</span></div>
+  <div class="post-rank-inner" aria-live="off"><span>{{oneBasedRank}}</span></div>
 </template>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/views/posts/modules/post_upvote.html b/client/views/posts/modules/post_upvote.html
index 876ad63f7..e786409ac 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/modules/post_upvote.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/modules/post_upvote.html
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 <template name="postUpvote">
   {{#if upvoted}}
     <span class="upvote-link voted action" title="{{_ "upvoted"}}">
-      <i class="icon-check action-icon"></i>
+      <i class="icon-check action-icon" aria-hidden></i>
+      <span class="sr-only">{{_ "upvoted"}}</span>
     </span>
   {{else}}
     <a class="upvote-link not-voted action" href="#" title="{{_ "upvote_"}}">
-      <i class="icon-up action-icon"></i>
+      <i class="icon-up action-icon" aria-hidden="true"></i>
+      <span class="sr-only">{{_ "upvote_"}}</span>
     </a>
   {{/if}}
 </template>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/views/posts/post_list/posts_list.html b/client/views/posts/post_list/posts_list.html
index 4512f0f33..2a1b6d757 100644
--- a/client/views/posts/post_list/posts_list.html
+++ b/client/views/posts/post_list/posts_list.html
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <template name="posts_list">
   <div class="posts-wrapper grid grid-module">
     {{> UI.dynamic template=postsListIncoming data=incoming}}
-    <div class="posts list {{postsLayout}}">
+    <div class="posts list {{postsLayout}}" aria-live="polite">
       {{#each postsCursor}}
         {{> UI.dynamic template=before_post_item}}
         {{> UI.dynamic template=post_item}}
diff --git a/client/views/users/profile/user_info.html b/client/views/users/profile/user_info.html
index 22b03db78..ed1883971 100644
--- a/client/views/users/profile/user_info.html
+++ b/client/views/users/profile/user_info.html
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   <div class="user-profile grid grid-module">
     <table>
       <tr>
-        <td colspan="2">{{> avatar user=this size="large" shape="circle"}}</td>
+        <td colspan="2" aria-hidden="true">{{> avatar user=this size="large" shape="circle"}}</td>
       </tr>
       {{#if isAdmin}}
         <tr>
diff --git a/client/views/users/user_item.html b/client/views/users/user_item.html
index a25b9dd3a..f5c194219 100644
--- a/client/views/users/user_item.html
+++ b/client/views/users/user_item.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <template name="user_item">
 <tr class="user">
-	<td>{{> avatar user=this shape="circle"}}</td>
+	<td aria-hidden="true">{{> avatar user=this shape="circle"}}</td>
 	<td>
 		<a href="{{getProfileUrl}}">{{displayName}}</a>
 		<br/>
diff --git a/packages/telescope-embedly/lib/client/post_thumbnail.html b/packages/telescope-embedly/lib/client/post_thumbnail.html
index 846dd46ba..80487d0d6 100644
--- a/packages/telescope-embedly/lib/client/post_thumbnail.html
+++ b/packages/telescope-embedly/lib/client/post_thumbnail.html
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <template name="postThumbnail">
   {{#if thumbnailUrl}}
-    <div class="post-thumbnail">
+    <div class="post-thumbnail" aria-hidden="true">
       <a class="post-thumbnail-link {{playVideoClass}}" href="{{postLink}}" target="_blank">
-        <img class="post-thumbnail-image" src="{{thumbnailUrl}}" onerror="this.style.display='none';"/>
+        <img class="post-thumbnail-image" src="{{thumbnailUrl}}" onerror="this.style.display='none';" aria-hidden="true"/>
       </a>
     </div>
   {{/if}}