diff --git a/app/helpers/icons_helper.rb b/app/helpers/icons_helper.rb
index ab3ef454e1c..55fa81e95ef 100644
--- a/app/helpers/icons_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/icons_helper.rb
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ module IconsHelper
   # font-awesome-rails gem, but should we ever use a different icon pack in the
   # future we won't have to change hundreds of method calls.
   def icon(names, options = {})
+    if (options.keys & %w[aria-hidden aria-label]).empty?
+      # Add `aria-hidden` if there are no aria's set
+      options['aria-hidden'] = true
+    end
+
     options.include?(:base) ? fa_stacked_icon(names, options) : fa_icon(names, options)
   end
 
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/add-aria-to-icon.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/add-aria-to-icon.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fd6a25784c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/add-aria-to-icon.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+title: Fixes an issue preventing screen readers from reading some icons
+merge_request:
+author:
diff --git a/spec/helpers/icons_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/icons_helper_spec.rb
index c052981fe73..91c8faea7fd 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/icons_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/icons_helper_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,21 @@
 require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe IconsHelper do
+  describe 'icon' do
+    it 'returns aria-hidden by default' do
+      star = icon('star')
+
+      expect(star['aria-hidden']).to eq 'aria-hidden'
+    end
+
+    it 'does not return aria-hidden if aria-label is set' do
+      up = icon('up', 'aria-label' => 'up')
+
+      expect(up['aria-hidden']).to be_nil
+      expect(up['aria-label']).to eq 'aria-label'
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'file_type_icon_class' do
     it 'returns folder class' do
       expect(file_type_icon_class('folder', 0, 'folder_name')).to eq 'folder'