PowerShell Console Host – UI Automation – Custom Prompt Accessibility

The goal is to ensure that assistive technologies announce the full prompt text when a user types a command in the PowerShell console host. In the legacy Windows Console host, UI Automation exposes the command line buffer as an edit control, but the Name and Value properties omit any custom prompt string. This omission means screen readers such as Narrator only read the raw command, not the prompt that precedes it, creating a gap in context for users who rely on auditory feedback.

Current evidence shows the behavior is consistent across Windows PowerShell 5.1 and PowerShell 7.x, while Windows Terminal correctly includes the prompt in its UI Automation tree. Microsoft’s documentation references UI Automation support but does not clarify whether the prompt should be part of the exposed properties, leaving the implementation status unclear.

Given this uncertainty, what are the expected behaviors for custom prompts in the console host’s UI Automation exposure? Is there an anticipated update to the host that will include prompt text in the automation tree? What interim strategies can developers employ to provide prompt context to screen readers until a definitive fix is released?