diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria.css b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria.css
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dfd372bb2b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria.css
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+.aria-alert-container {
+	position: absolute; /* try to hide from workbench but not from screen readers */
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7c6294c3429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/*---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+ *  Licensed under the MIT License. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+ *--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+'use strict';
+
+import 'vs/css!./aria';
+import {Builder, $} from 'vs/base/browser/builder';
+
+let ariaAlertContainer: Builder;
+export function setAlertContainer(parent: HTMLElement) {
+	ariaAlertContainer = $('.aria-alert-container').attr({ 'role': 'alert' }).appendTo(parent);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Given the provided message, will make sure that it is read as alert to screen readers.
+ */
+export function alert(msg: string): void {
+	if (!ariaAlertContainer) {
+		console.warn('ARIA alert support needs a container. Call setAlertContainer() first.');
+		return;
+	}
+
+	$(ariaAlertContainer).empty();
+	$('span').text(msg).appendTo(ariaAlertContainer);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.ts
index 10132d3eb53..a153374e115 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/inputbox/inputBox.ts
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@
 
 import 'vs/css!./inputBox';
 
+import nls = require('vs/nls');
 import * as Bal from 'vs/base/browser/browser';
 import * as dom from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
 import * as browser from 'vs/base/browser/browserService';
 import {IHTMLContentElement} from 'vs/base/common/htmlContent';
 import {renderHtml} from 'vs/base/browser/htmlContentRenderer';
+import aria = require('vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria');
 import {IAction} from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import {ActionBar} from 'vs/base/browser/ui/actionbar/actionbar';
 import {IContextViewProvider, AnchorAlignment} from 'vs/base/browser/ui/contextview/contextview';
@@ -234,6 +236,18 @@ export class InputBox extends Widget {
 		dom.removeClass(this.element, 'error');
 		dom.addClass(this.element, this.classForType(message.type));
 
+		// ARIA Support
+		let alertText: string;
+		if (message.type === MessageType.ERROR) {
+			alertText = nls.localize('alertErrorMessage', "Error: {0}", message.content);
+		} else if (message.type === MessageType.WARNING) {
+			alertText = nls.localize('alertWarningMessage', "Warning: {0}", message.content);
+		} else {
+			alertText = nls.localize('alertInfoMessage', "Info: {0}", message.content);
+		}
+
+		aria.alert(alertText);
+
 		if (this.hasFocus() || force) {
 			this._showMessage();
 		}
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.css b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.css
index 5b6827a2d22..2567d03bd71 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.css
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.css
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@
 	left: 15%;
 }
 
-.aria-alert-container {
-	position: absolute; /* try to hide from workbench */
-}
-
 .vs .global-message-list {
 	box-shadow: 0 2px 8px #A8A8A8;
 }
diff --git a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.ts b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.ts
index cce9a4b6633..5c0dd01642a 100644
--- a/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.ts
+++ b/src/vs/base/browser/ui/messagelist/messageList.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {Promise} from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import {Builder, withElementById, $} from 'vs/base/browser/builder';
 import DOM = require('vs/base/browser/dom');
 import errors = require('vs/base/common/errors');
+import aria = require('vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria');
 import types = require('vs/base/common/types');
 import Event, {Emitter} from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import {Action} from 'vs/base/common/actions';
@@ -57,7 +58,6 @@ export class MessageList {
 	private messages: IMessageEntry[];
 	private messageListPurger: Promise;
 	private messageListContainer: Builder;
-	private ariaAlertContainer: Builder;
 
 	private containerElementId: string;
 	private options: IMessageListOptions;
@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ export class MessageList {
 
 		this._onMessagesShowing = new Emitter<void>();
 		this._onMessagesCleared = new Emitter<void>();
-
-		this.ariaAlertContainer = $('.aria-alert-container').attr({ 'role': 'alert' }).appendTo(document.body);
 	}
 
 	public get onMessagesShowing(): Event<void> {
@@ -147,7 +145,6 @@ export class MessageList {
 		this.renderMessages(true, 1);
 
 		// Support in Screen Readers too
-		$(this.ariaAlertContainer).empty();
 		let alertText: string;
 		if (severity === Severity.Error) {
 			alertText = nls.localize('alertErrorMessage', "Error: {0}", message);
@@ -157,7 +154,7 @@ export class MessageList {
 			alertText = nls.localize('alertInfoMessage', "Info: {0}", message);
 		}
 
-		$('span').text(alertText).appendTo(this.ariaAlertContainer);
+		aria.alert(alertText);
 
 		return () => {
 			this.hideMessage(id);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/shell.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/shell.ts
index 78de96794cf..f1c8c715753 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/shell.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/shell.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {Promise, TPromise} from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import {Dimension, Builder, $} from 'vs/base/browser/builder';
 import objects = require('vs/base/common/objects');
 import dom = require('vs/base/browser/dom');
+import aria = require('vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria');
 import {Emitter} from 'vs/base/common/event';
 import {IDisposable} from 'vs/base/common/lifecycle';
 import errors = require('vs/base/common/errors');
@@ -192,6 +193,9 @@ export class WorkbenchShell {
 
 	private createContents(parent: Builder): Builder {
 
+		// ARIA
+		aria.setAlertContainer(document.body);
+
 		// Workbench Container
 		let workbenchContainer = $(parent).div();