diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugEditorContribution.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugEditorContribution.ts
index 56a078d38719e613c637447db4eeb278d073a73c..d88475e263cc1f33620a0bfd133749e23e4b354e 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugEditorContribution.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/debugEditorContribution.ts
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ export class DebugEditorContribution implements IDebugEditorContribution {
 
 		this.exceptionWidget = this.instantiationService.createInstance(ExceptionWidget, this.editor, exceptionInfo, debugSession);
 		this.exceptionWidget.show({ lineNumber, column }, 0);
+		this.exceptionWidget.focus();
 		this.editor.revealLine(lineNumber);
 		this.exceptionWidgetVisible.set(true);
 	}
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/exceptionWidget.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/exceptionWidget.ts
index cd2ef11bb3072764c9cccd21fdd9e748d73f2b82..7cc8ad9d5b835791dd89a9b99fd77085a9a23ca0 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/exceptionWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/debug/browser/exceptionWidget.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export class ExceptionWidget extends ZoneWidget {
 		@IThemeService themeService: IThemeService,
 		@IInstantiationService private readonly instantiationService: IInstantiationService
 	) {
-		super(editor, { showFrame: true, showArrow: true, frameWidth: 1, className: 'exception-widget-container' });
+		super(editor, { showFrame: true, showArrow: true, isAccessible: true, frameWidth: 1, className: 'exception-widget-container' });
 
 		this.applyTheme(themeService.getColorTheme());
 		this._disposables.add(themeService.onDidColorThemeChange(this.applyTheme.bind(this)));
@@ -69,13 +69,14 @@ export class ExceptionWidget extends ZoneWidget {
 		const fontInfo = this.editor.getOption(EditorOption.fontInfo);
 		container.style.fontSize = `${fontInfo.fontSize}px`;
 		container.style.lineHeight = `${fontInfo.lineHeight}px`;
-
+		container.tabIndex = 0;
 		const title = $('.title');
 		const label = $('.label');
 		dom.append(title, label);
 		const actions = $('.actions');
 		dom.append(title, actions);
 		label.textContent = this.exceptionInfo.id ? nls.localize('exceptionThrownWithId', 'Exception has occurred: {0}', this.exceptionInfo.id) : nls.localize('exceptionThrown', 'Exception has occurred.');
+		let ariaLabel = label.textContent;
 
 		const actionBar = new ActionBar(actions);
 		actionBar.push(new Action('editor.closeExceptionWidget', nls.localize('close', "Close"), 'codicon codicon-close', true, async () => {
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ export class ExceptionWidget extends ZoneWidget {
 		if (this.exceptionInfo.description) {
 			let description = $('.description');
 			description.textContent = this.exceptionInfo.description;
+			ariaLabel += ', ' + this.exceptionInfo.description;
 			dom.append(container, description);
 		}
 
@@ -97,7 +99,9 @@ export class ExceptionWidget extends ZoneWidget {
 			const linkedStackTrace = linkDetector.linkify(this.exceptionInfo.details.stackTrace, true, this.debugSession ? this.debugSession.root : undefined);
 			stackTrace.appendChild(linkedStackTrace);
 			dom.append(container, stackTrace);
+			ariaLabel += ', ' + this.exceptionInfo.details.stackTrace;
 		}
+		container.setAttribute('aria-label', ariaLabel);
 	}
 
 	protected _doLayout(_heightInPixel: number | undefined, _widthInPixel: number | undefined): void {
@@ -110,4 +114,9 @@ export class ExceptionWidget extends ZoneWidget {
 
 		this._relayout(computedLinesNumber);
 	}
+
+	focus(): void {
+		// Focus into the container for accessibility purposes so the exception and stack trace gets read
+		this.container?.focus();
+	}
 }