Safari VoiceOver fails to announce list semantics without specific styling

Users have observed that VoiceOver on Safari is not announcing list semantics when lists are not styled in a traditional, list-like fashion. This behavior stems from code changes implemented in 2014 and 2015 regarding “layout lists.”

While the lack of semantic announcement may seem to contradict web development principles, it represents a judgment call by browsers and assistive technologies regarding how content is perceived and used. Similar determinations are made by various browsers regarding layout tables and other semantic elements like div or span, which often lack specific recognition in browsers.