diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/keybindingsEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/keybindingsEditor.ts
index 4d91fd39cb5f0e8f082ea588d8df3ca2633014c1..d8ba6e9bef114cc200401bdc8ec75859bacb6c5e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/keybindingsEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/keybindingsEditor.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 	private searchFocusContextKey: IContextKey<boolean>;
 	private sortByPrecedence: Checkbox;
 
+	private ariaLabelElement: HTMLElement;
+
 	constructor(
 		@ITelemetryService telemetryService: ITelemetryService,
 		@IThemeService themeService: IThemeService,
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 	createEditor(parent: HTMLElement): void {
 		const keybindingsEditorElement = DOM.append(parent, $('div', { class: 'keybindings-editor' }));
 
+		this.createAriaLabelElement(keybindingsEditorElement);
 		this.createOverlayContainer(keybindingsEditorElement);
 		this.createHeader(keybindingsEditorElement);
 		this.createBody(keybindingsEditorElement);
@@ -268,6 +271,12 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 		return TPromise.as(null);
 	}
 
+	private createAriaLabelElement(parent: HTMLElement): void {
+		this.ariaLabelElement = DOM.append(parent, DOM.$(''));
+		this.ariaLabelElement.setAttribute('id', 'keybindings-editor-aria-label-element');
+		this.ariaLabelElement.setAttribute('aria-live', 'assertive');
+	}
+
 	private createOverlayContainer(parent: HTMLElement): void {
 		this.overlayContainer = DOM.append(parent, $('.overlay-container'));
 		this.overlayContainer.style.position = 'absolute';
@@ -293,7 +302,8 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 		this.searchWidget = this._register(this.instantiationService.createInstance(SearchWidget, searchContainer, {
 			ariaLabel: localize('SearchKeybindings.AriaLabel', "Search keybindings"),
 			placeholder: localize('SearchKeybindings.Placeholder', "Search keybindings"),
-			focusKey: this.searchFocusContextKey
+			focusKey: this.searchFocusContextKey,
+			ariaLabelledBy: 'keybindings-editor-aria-label-element'
 		}));
 		this._register(this.searchWidget.onDidChange(searchValue => this.delayedFiltering.trigger(() => this.filterKeybindings())));
 
@@ -302,8 +312,7 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 			isChecked: false,
 			title: localize('sortByPrecedene', "Sort by Precedence")
 		}));
-		this._register(
-			this.sortByPrecedence.onChange(() => this.renderKeybindingsEntries(false)));
+		this._register(this.sortByPrecedence.onChange(() => this.renderKeybindingsEntries(false)));
 		searchContainer.appendChild(this.sortByPrecedence.domNode);
 
 		this.createOpenKeybindingsElement(this.headerContainer);
@@ -397,6 +406,9 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 		if (this.keybindingsEditorModel) {
 			const filter = this.searchWidget.getValue();
 			const keybindingsEntries: IKeybindingItemEntry[] = this.keybindingsEditorModel.fetch(filter, this.sortByPrecedence.checked);
+
+			this.ariaLabelElement.setAttribute('aria-label', this.getAriaLabel());
+
 			if (keybindingsEntries.length === 0) {
 				this.latestEmptyFilters.push(filter);
 			}
@@ -425,6 +437,14 @@ export class KeybindingsEditor extends BaseEditor implements IKeybindingsEditor
 		}
 	}
 
+	private getAriaLabel(): string {
+		if (this.sortByPrecedence.checked) {
+			return localize('show sorted keybindings', "Showing Keybindings in precendence order");
+		} else {
+			return localize('show keybindings', "Showing Keybindings in alphabetical order");
+		}
+	}
+
 	private layoutKebindingsList(): void {
 		const listHeight = this.dimension.height - (DOM.getDomNodePagePosition(this.headerContainer).height + 12 /*padding*/);
 		this.keybindingsListContainer.style.height = `${listHeight}px`;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesEditor.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesEditor.ts
index 0211aa5d8973a63441c02f795a560e0a0e32d880..1875e5070fccb5e46ace9e3751d22e7593e6c712 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesEditor.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesEditor.ts
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ export class PreferencesEditor extends BaseEditor {
 			ariaLabel: nls.localize('SearchSettingsWidget.AriaLabel', "Search settings"),
 			placeholder: nls.localize('SearchSettingsWidget.Placeholder', "Search Settings"),
 			focusKey: this.searchFocusContextKey,
-			showResultCount: true
+			showResultCount: true,
+			ariaLive: 'assertive'
 		}));
 		this._register(this.searchWidget.onDidChange(value => this.onInputChanged()));
 		this._register(this.searchWidget.onFocus(() => this.lastFocusedWidget = this.searchWidget));
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesWidgets.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesWidgets.ts
index 723af7ffdc08402198f7c0c3329c92dbcdc6775e..3c57b2f5fcb5e8804624ad4fbabae131995b49a2 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesWidgets.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/preferencesWidgets.ts
@@ -561,6 +561,8 @@ export class SettingsTargetsWidget extends Widget {
 export interface SearchOptions extends IInputOptions {
 	focusKey?: IContextKey<boolean>;
 	showResultCount?: boolean;
+	ariaLive?: string;
+	ariaLabelledBy?: string;
 }
 
 export class SearchWidget extends Widget {
@@ -608,7 +610,10 @@ export class SearchWidget extends Widget {
 			}));
 		}
 
-		this.inputBox.inputElement.setAttribute('aria-live', 'assertive');
+		this.inputBox.inputElement.setAttribute('aria-live', this.options.ariaLive || 'off');
+		if (this.options.ariaLabelledBy) {
+			this.inputBox.inputElement.setAttribute('aria-labelledBy', this.options.ariaLabelledBy);
+		}
 		const focusTracker = this._register(DOM.trackFocus(this.inputBox.inputElement));
 		this._register(focusTracker.onDidFocus(() => this._onFocus.fire()));
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts
index 82caff36780f59da186d924583f5ac52e7a72be0..9e11c49536a0bb6cd692dd26e0dc6a0348a6d87a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/preferences/browser/settingsEditor2.ts
@@ -189,7 +189,8 @@ export class SettingsEditor2 extends BaseEditor {
 		this.searchWidget = this._register(this.instantiationService.createInstance(SearchWidget, searchContainer, {
 			ariaLabel: localize('SearchSettings.AriaLabel', "Search settings"),
 			placeholder: localize('SearchSettings.Placeholder', "Search settings"),
-			focusKey: this.searchFocusContextKey
+			focusKey: this.searchFocusContextKey,
+			ariaLive: 'assertive'
 		}));
 		this._register(this.searchWidget.onDidChange(() => this.onSearchInputChanged()));