What a screen reader actually hears

<div class="demo demo--wide">
  <div class="stage"><div id="face"></div></div>

  <div class="demo-row">
    <div class="demo-seg" id="variant" role="group" aria-label="Shape">
      <button type="button" data-variant="boxes" aria-pressed="true">boxes</button>
      <button type="button" data-variant="clock">clock</button>
      <button type="button" data-variant="words">words</button>
    </div>
    <button class="demo-btn demo-btn--ghost" id="soon">Restart at two minutes</button>
  </div>

  <div class="demo-row">
    <div class="demo-seg" id="locale" role="group" aria-label="Language">
      <button type="button" data-locale="" aria-pressed="true">English</button>
      <button type="button" data-locale="ar-EG">العربية</button>
      <button type="button" data-locale="ru">Русский</button>
      <button type="button" data-locale="ur">اردو</button>
      <button type="button" data-locale="de">Deutsch</button>
    </div>
  </div>

  <dl class="demo-kv" id="out"></dl>

  <p class="demo-hint">The digits are <code>aria-hidden</code> and a separate polite region speaks only at
    milestones. Wire the digits straight into <code>aria-live</code>, which is what every alternative
    leaves you to do, and the second number is what someone hears instead.</p>
</div>

import { createCountdownWidget } from 'https://www.devix.pk/cdn/oss/countdown@1.0.0/index.js';

const out = document.getElementById('out');
const host = document.getElementById('face');

let deadline = Date.now() + 2 * 60 * 1000 + 500;
let shape = 'boxes';
let lang = '';
let spoken = 0;
let ticks = 0;
let widget;

// The instance is passed in, because the first tick happens while the const
// below is still being assigned.
const show = (instance = widget) => {
    const parts = instance.read();
    out.innerHTML = `
    <div><dt>remaining</dt><dd>${parts.minutes}m ${parts.seconds}s</dd></div>
    <div><dt>redrawn</dt><dd>${ticks} times</dd></div>
    <div><dt>said to a screen reader</dt><dd><strong>${spoken}</strong></dd></div>
    <div><dt>an aria-live on the digits</dt><dd>${ticks} times</dd></div>`;
};

function build() {
    widget?.destroy();
    widget = createCountdownWidget(host, {
        deadline,
        variant: shape,
        locale: lang || undefined,
        onTick: (parts, instance) => {
            ticks += 1;
            show(instance);
        },
        onComplete: () => host.classList.add('is-done'),
    });

    // Count what the live region actually says rather than claiming a number.
    const live = host.querySelector('[role="status"]');
    new MutationObserver(() => {
        if (live.textContent.trim()) spoken += 1;
    }).observe(live, { childList: true, characterData: true, subtree: true });

    // The first announcement happened during construction, before the observer.
    if (live.textContent.trim()) spoken += 1;

    show();
}

const segment = (id, attribute, apply) => {
    const group = document.getElementById(id);
    group.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
        const button = event.target.closest('button');
        if (!button) return;
        for (const other of group.querySelectorAll('button')) other.setAttribute('aria-pressed', String(other === button));
        apply(button.dataset[attribute]);
        build();
    });
};

segment('variant', 'variant', (value) => { shape = value; });
segment('locale', 'locale', (value) => { lang = value; });

document.getElementById('soon').addEventListener('click', () => {
    deadline = Date.now() + 2 * 60 * 1000 + 500;
    spoken = 0;
    ticks = 0;
    host.classList.remove('is-done');
    widget.setDeadline(deadline);
    show();
});

build();

@import url('https://www.devix.pk/cdn/oss/countdown@1.0.0/countdown.min.css');

.stage {
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  padding: 18px 12px;
  border: 1px solid var(--demo-line);
  border-radius: 12px;
  background: var(--demo-surface);
}

#face { --dxn-value-size: 32px; --dxn-radius: 12px; transition: opacity .3s; }
#face.is-done { opacity: .5; }

.demo-kv dd { font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; }