diff --git a/canvas/src/components/CookieConsent.tsx b/canvas/src/components/CookieConsent.tsx
index 6b607b04..898ffef1 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/CookieConsent.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/CookieConsent.tsx
@@ -98,9 +98,17 @@ export function CookieConsent() {
   };
 
   return (
-    <div
-      role="dialog"
-      aria-modal="true"
+    // role="region" + aria-label, NOT role="dialog" + aria-modal. The
+    // banner is informational — it never blocks the page, never traps
+    // focus, and the user can keep using the canvas while it's up.
+    // Claiming aria-modal="true" without a focus trap is genuinely
+    // harmful for screen-reader users: they get told the rest of the
+    // page is inert, jump into the banner, and then can't escape.
+    // Region semantics let assistive tech navigate around it normally.
+    // (Also: forcing a modal cookie banner would be a dark pattern —
+    // GDPR explicitly discourages it.)
+    <section
+      role="region"
       aria-labelledby="cookie-consent-title"
       aria-describedby="cookie-consent-body"
       className="fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 z-[9999] border-t border-line bg-surface/95 backdrop-blur-sm p-4 shadow-[0_-4px_12px_rgba(0,0,0,0.4)]"
@@ -117,7 +125,7 @@ export function CookieConsent() {
             workspaces). See our{" "}
             <a
               href="https://moleculesai.app/legal/privacy"
-              className="text-accent underline hover:text-accent"
+              className="text-accent underline underline-offset-2 hover:text-accent-strong focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent/60 rounded-sm"
               target="_blank"
               rel="noreferrer"
             >
@@ -130,20 +138,20 @@ export function CookieConsent() {
           <button
             type="button"
             onClick={() => decide("rejected")}
-            className="rounded border border-line bg-surface-sunken px-4 py-2 text-sm text-ink hover:bg-surface-card"
+            className="rounded border border-line bg-surface-sunken px-4 py-2 text-sm text-ink hover:bg-surface-card focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent/60 focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-surface"
           >
             Necessary only
           </button>
           <button
             type="button"
             onClick={() => decide("accepted")}
-            className="rounded border border-accent bg-accent-strong px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-accent"
+            className="rounded border border-accent bg-accent-strong px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-white hover:bg-accent focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent/60 focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-surface"
           >
             Accept all
           </button>
         </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
+    </section>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/canvas/src/components/__tests__/CookieConsent.test.tsx b/canvas/src/components/__tests__/CookieConsent.test.tsx
index 188c6f9c..66012a17 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/__tests__/CookieConsent.test.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/__tests__/CookieConsent.test.tsx
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ afterEach(() => {
 describe("CookieConsent", () => {
   it("renders the banner when no decision is stored", () => {
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    expect(screen.getByRole("dialog")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("region")).toBeTruthy();
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Accept all" })).toBeTruthy();
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Necessary only" })).toBeTruthy();
   });
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
   it("stores 'accepted' and hides the banner when user clicks Accept all", () => {
     render(<CookieConsent />);
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Accept all" }));
-    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region")).toBeNull();
 
     const raw = window.localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY);
     expect(raw).not.toBeNull();
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
   it("stores 'rejected' and hides the banner when user clicks Necessary only", () => {
     render(<CookieConsent />);
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Necessary only" }));
-    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region")).toBeNull();
 
     const parsed = JSON.parse(window.localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY)!);
     expect(parsed.decision).toBe("rejected");
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
       JSON.stringify({ decision: "accepted", decidedAt: new Date().toISOString(), version: 1 }),
     );
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region")).toBeNull();
   });
 
   it("re-prompts when the stored decision is on an older policy version", () => {
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
       JSON.stringify({ decision: "accepted", decidedAt: new Date().toISOString(), version: 0 }),
     );
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    expect(screen.getByRole("dialog")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("region")).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
   it("re-prompts when localStorage contains invalid JSON", () => {
     window.localStorage.setItem(STORAGE_KEY, "{not json");
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    expect(screen.getByRole("dialog")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("region")).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
   it("exposes a privacy-policy link with target='_blank'", () => {
@@ -99,11 +99,19 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
     expect(link.getAttribute("rel")).toContain("noreferrer");
   });
 
-  it("uses role=dialog with aria-labelledby and aria-describedby for screen readers", () => {
+  it("uses role=region (NOT dialog) with aria-labelledby/describedby — banner is informational, not modal", () => {
+    // Regression guard: an earlier version claimed role="dialog"
+    // aria-modal="true" without a focus trap. That falsely told screen
+    // readers the rest of the page was inert, trapping AT users in a
+    // banner they couldn't escape. role="region" lets assistive tech
+    // navigate around it normally; the banner stays informational.
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    const dialog = screen.getByRole("dialog");
-    expect(dialog.getAttribute("aria-labelledby")).toBe("cookie-consent-title");
-    expect(dialog.getAttribute("aria-describedby")).toBe("cookie-consent-body");
+    const banner = screen.getByRole("region");
+    expect(banner.getAttribute("aria-labelledby")).toBe("cookie-consent-title");
+    expect(banner.getAttribute("aria-describedby")).toBe("cookie-consent-body");
+    // No aria-modal claim — explicit guard against regression.
+    expect(banner.getAttribute("aria-modal")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
   });
 
   it("does NOT render on local dev (non-SaaS hostname)", () => {
@@ -116,7 +124,7 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
       value: { ...window.location, hostname: "localhost" },
     });
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region")).toBeNull();
   });
 
   it("does NOT render on a LAN hostname (192.168.*, *.local)", () => {
@@ -125,7 +133,7 @@ describe("CookieConsent", () => {
       value: { ...window.location, hostname: "192.168.1.74" },
     });
     render(<CookieConsent />);
-    expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region")).toBeNull();
   });
 });