diff --git a/core/src/utils/overlays.ts b/core/src/utils/overlays.ts
index 7e2395d341..bf8192e59e 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/overlays.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/overlays.ts
@@ -236,6 +236,41 @@ export const getOverlay = (doc: Document, overlayTag?: string, id?: string): HTM
     : overlays.find(o => o.id === id);
 };
 
+/**
+ * When an overlay is presented, the main
+ * focus is the overlay not the page content.
+ * We need to remove the page content from the
+ * accessibility tree otherwise when
+ * users use "read screen from top" gestures with
+ * TalkBack and VoiceOver, the screen reader will begin
+ * to read the content underneath the overlay.
+ *
+ * We need a container where all page components
+ * exist that is separate from where the overlays
+ * are added in the DOM. For most apps, this element
+ * is the top most ion-router-outlet. In the event
+ * that devs are not using a router,
+ * they will need to add the "ion-view-container-root"
+ * id to the element that contains all of their views.
+ *
+ * TODO: If Framework supports having multiple top
+ * level router outlets we would need to update this.
+ * Example: One outlet for side menu and one outlet
+ * for main content.
+ */
+export const setRootAriaHidden = (hidden = false) => {
+  const root = getAppRoot(document);
+  const viewContainer = root.querySelector('ion-router-outlet, ion-nav, #ion-view-container-root');
+
+  if (!viewContainer) { return; }
+
+  if (hidden) {
+    viewContainer.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+  } else {
+    viewContainer.removeAttribute('aria-hidden');
+  }
+}
+
 export const present = async (
   overlay: OverlayInterface,
   name: keyof IonicConfig,
@@ -246,6 +281,9 @@ export const present = async (
   if (overlay.presented) {
     return;
   }
+
+  setRootAriaHidden(true);
+
   overlay.presented = true;
   overlay.willPresent.emit();
 
@@ -313,6 +351,9 @@ export const dismiss = async (
   if (!overlay.presented) {
     return false;
   }
+
+  setRootAriaHidden(false);
+
   overlay.presented = false;
 
   try {
diff --git a/core/src/utils/test/overlays.spec.ts b/core/src/utils/test/overlays.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ec32ee9e94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/utils/test/overlays.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { newSpecPage } from '@stencil/core/testing';
+import { setRootAriaHidden } from '../overlays';
+import { RouterOutlet } from '../../components/router-outlet/route-outlet';
+import { Nav } from '../../components/nav/nav';
+
+describe('setRootAriaHidden()', () => {
+  it('should correctly remove and re-add router outlet from accessibility tree', async () => {
+    const page = await newSpecPage({
+      components: [RouterOutlet],
+      html: `
+        <ion-router-outlet></ion-router-outlet>
+      `
+    });
+
+    const routerOutlet = page.body.querySelector('ion-router-outlet');
+
+    expect(routerOutlet.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(true);
+    expect(routerOutlet.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(true);
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(false);
+    expect(routerOutlet.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should correctly remove and re-add nav from accessibility tree', async () => {
+    const page = await newSpecPage({
+      components: [Nav],
+      html: `
+        <ion-nav></ion-nav>
+      `
+    });
+
+    const nav = page.body.querySelector('ion-nav');
+
+    expect(nav.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(true);
+    expect(nav.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(true);
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(false);
+    expect(nav.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should correctly remove and re-add custom container from accessibility tree', async () => {
+    const page = await newSpecPage({
+      components: [],
+      html: `
+        <div id="ion-view-container-root"></div>
+        <div id="not-container-root"></div>
+      `
+    });
+
+    const containerRoot = page.body.querySelector('#ion-view-container-root');
+    const notContainerRoot = page.body.querySelector('#not-container-root');
+
+    expect(containerRoot.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+    expect(notContainerRoot.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(true);
+    expect(containerRoot.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(true);
+    expect(notContainerRoot.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(false);
+    expect(containerRoot.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+    expect(notContainerRoot.hasAttribute('aria-hidden')).toEqual(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should not error if router outlet was not found', async () => {
+    const page = await newSpecPage({
+      components: [],
+      html: `
+        <div></div>
+      `
+    });
+
+    setRootAriaHidden(true);
+  });
+});