Is there still any point to most styles in visually hidden classes in '26?

Is there still any point to most styles in visually hidden classes in '26?

Any point to shrinking dimensions to `1px` and setting `overflow: hidden` when `clip-path` to nothing via `inset(50%)`/ `circle(0)` reduces clickable area to nothing? And then no `1px` dimensions means no need for `white-space`.

Because based on this article https://vispero.com/resources/the-anatomy-of-visually-hidden/ I just don't see why any styles other than `position: absolute` + `clip-path` to nothing would still be necessary.

#CSS #accessibility

Is there still any point to most styles in visually hidden classes in '26?

Any point to shrinking dimensions to `1px` and setting `overflow: hidden` when `clip-path` to nothing via `inset(50%)`/ `circle(0)` reduces clickable area to nothing? And then no `1px` dimensions means no need for `white-space`.

Because based on this article https://vispero.com/resources/the-anatomy-of-visually-hidden/ I just don't see why any styles other than `position: absolute` + `clip-path` to nothing would still be necessary.

#CSS #accessibility

@anatudor the stick in the mud has been odd/unusual behaviour in safari when it comes to focusable elements. if that is now resolved, and no other browsers have since regressed to not exposing content to AT ... sure

@patrick_h_lauke Any link on that? All I could find was Safari ≤ 15 removing visually hidden elements from focus order

@anatudor not off the top of my head, but ... you'd need to test (including testing with various browser/screen reader combinations). also noting how safari/ios often behaves differently from safari/macos ...

@anatudor not off the top of my head, but ... you'd need to test (including testing with various browser/screen reader combinations). also noting how safari/ios often behaves differently from safari/macos ...

@patrick_h_lauke @anatudor IIRC there is this one https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=163658

@Thain @patrick_h_lauke Wait, what am I missing? How is that related to visually hidden elements?

(I just wanted to replace the text content of a span with an icon, no links or navigating anywhere else on the page involved)

@anatudor @Thain the wider question was whether or not visually hidden can be simplified down to the bone. but visually hidden is also used to hide things like skip links (and then make them appear on focus). so the generic visually hidden when also used for those cases needs to not break it...

@anatudor @Thain beyond that, there used to be weird inconsistencies even just for hiding text, where some browser/SRs would take visual hints ("oh, this element has zero width/height...") to then also not expose content at all in the accessibility tree ("...so i also won't expose it for screen readers"). and that has historically been finicky and prone to regressions/quirky behaviours. so that part would also need to be tested thoroughly (and may regress again at any point)