diff --git a/demo/index.html b/demo/index.html
index 93399f9cd..e0c355d09 100644
--- a/demo/index.html
+++ b/demo/index.html
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@
               </div>
             </div>
           </div>
+          <div>
+            <h3>Accessibility</h3>
+            <p>
+              <label><input type="checkbox" id="option-screen-reader-mode"> screenReaderMode</label>
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              <button id="screen-reader-navigation-mode" title="Only works when screenReaderMode is true">Enter navigation mode</button>
+            </p>
         </div>
         <p><strong>Attention:</strong> The demo is a barebones implementation and is designed for xterm.js evaluation purposes only. Exposing the demo to the public as is would introduce security risks for the host.</p>
         <script src="dist/bundle.js" defer ></script>
diff --git a/demo/main.js b/demo/main.js
index 95b15a0db..df11a27fd 100644
--- a/demo/main.js
+++ b/demo/main.js
@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@ var terminalContainer = document.getElementById('terminal-container'),
       cursorStyle: document.querySelector('#option-cursor-style'),
       scrollback: document.querySelector('#option-scrollback'),
       tabstopwidth: document.querySelector('#option-tabstopwidth'),
-      bellStyle: document.querySelector('#option-bell-style')
+      bellStyle: document.querySelector('#option-bell-style'),
+      screenReaderMode: document.querySelector('#option-screen-reader-mode')
     },
+    navigationModeElement = document.querySelector('#screen-reader-navigation-mode'),
     colsElement = document.getElementById('cols'),
     rowsElement = document.getElementById('rows');
 
@@ -78,6 +80,16 @@ optionElements.scrollback.addEventListener('change', function () {
 optionElements.tabstopwidth.addEventListener('change', function () {
   term.setOption('tabStopWidth', parseInt(optionElements.tabstopwidth.value, 10));
 });
+optionElements.screenReaderMode.addEventListener('change', function () {
+  term.setOption('screenReaderMode', optionElements.screenReaderMode.value);
+});
+navigationModeElement.addEventListener('click', function () {
+  if (term.getOption('screenReaderMode')) {
+    term.enterNavigationMode();
+  } else {
+    console.warn('screenReaderMode must be true to enter navigation mode');
+  }
+});
 
 createTerminal();
 
@@ -89,7 +101,8 @@ function createTerminal() {
   term = new Terminal({
     cursorBlink: optionElements.cursorBlink.checked,
     scrollback: parseInt(optionElements.scrollback.value, 10),
-    tabStopWidth: parseInt(optionElements.tabstopwidth.value, 10)
+    tabStopWidth: parseInt(optionElements.tabstopwidth.value, 10),
+    screenReaderMode: optionElements.screenReaderMode.checked
   });
   window.term = term;  // Expose `term` to window for debugging purposes
   term.on('resize', function (size) {
diff --git a/src/AccessibilityManager.ts b/src/AccessibilityManager.ts
index d2fe7e1a1..930ae9f0d 100644
--- a/src/AccessibilityManager.ts
+++ b/src/AccessibilityManager.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ export class AccessibilityManager implements IDisposable {
     this._accessibilityTreeRoot.appendChild(this._rowContainer);
 
     this._renderRowsDebouncer = new RenderDebouncer(this._terminal, this._renderRows.bind(this));
+    this._refreshRows();
+
     this._navigationMode = new NavigationMode(this._terminal, this._rowContainer, this._rowElements, this);
 
     this._liveRegion = document.createElement('div');
@@ -92,6 +94,10 @@ export class AccessibilityManager implements IDisposable {
     return this._navigationMode.isActive;
   }
 
+  public enterNavigationMode(): void {
+    this._navigationMode.enter();
+  }
+
   private _onResize(cols: number, rows: number): void {
     // Grow rows as required
     for (let i = this._rowContainer.children.length; i < this._terminal.rows; i++) {
diff --git a/src/Terminal.ts b/src/Terminal.ts
index 619387e29..62dcab8d9 100644
--- a/src/Terminal.ts
+++ b/src/Terminal.ts
@@ -1334,6 +1334,12 @@ export class Terminal extends EventEmitter implements ITerminal, IInputHandlingT
     }
   }
 
+  public enterNavigationMode(): void {
+    if (this._accessibilityManager) {
+      this._accessibilityManager.enterNavigationMode();
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Gets whether the terminal has an active selection.
    */
diff --git a/typings/xterm.d.ts b/typings/xterm.d.ts
index 5ebe578e4..856637344 100644
--- a/typings/xterm.d.ts
+++ b/typings/xterm.d.ts
@@ -332,6 +332,12 @@ declare module 'xterm' {
      */
     deregisterLinkMatcher(matcherId: number): void;
 
+    /**
+     * Enters screen reader navigation mode. This will only work when
+     * the screenReaderMode option is true.
+     */
+    enterNavigationMode(): void;
+
     /**
      * Gets whether the terminal has an active selection.
      */