fix(material/dialog): dialog content not being read out by screen readers

src/material/dialog/dialog-config.ts

@@ -95,8 +95,11 @@ export class MatDialogConfig<D = any> {
   /** Aria label to assign to the dialog element. */
   ariaLabel?: string | null = null;
 
+  // Note that this is disabled by default, because while the a11y recommendations are to focus
+  // the first focusable element, doing so prevents screen readers from reading out the
+  // rest of the dialog's content.
   /** Whether the dialog should focus the first focusable element on open. */
-  autoFocus?: boolean = true;
+  autoFocus?: boolean = false;
 
   /**
    * Whether the dialog should restore focus to the

src/material/dialog/dialog.e2e.spec.ts

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ describe('dialog', () => {
     await element(by.id('default')).click();
 
     await waitForDialog();
-    await expectFocusOn('mat-dialog-container input');
+    await expectFocusOn('mat-dialog-container');
   });
 
   it('should restore focus to the element that opened the dialog', async () => {
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ describe('dialog', () => {
     await element(by.id('default')).click();
 
     await waitForDialog();
-    await pressKeys(Key.TAB, Key.TAB, Key.TAB);
+    await pressKeys(Key.TAB, Key.TAB, Key.TAB, Key.TAB);
     await expectFocusOn('#close');
   });
 

src/material/dialog/dialog.spec.ts

@@ -1081,18 +1081,32 @@ describe('MatDialog', () => {
     beforeEach(() => document.body.appendChild(overlayContainerElement));
     afterEach(() => document.body.removeChild(overlayContainerElement));
 
-    it('should focus the first tabbable element of the dialog on open', fakeAsync(() => {
+    it('should focus the dialog container by default', fakeAsync(() => {
       dialog.open(PizzaMsg, {
-        viewContainerRef: testViewContainerRef
+        viewContainerRef: testViewContainerRef,
       });
 
       viewContainerFixture.detectChanges();
       flushMicrotasks();
 
       expect(document.activeElement!.tagName)
-          .toBe('INPUT', 'Expected first tabbable element (input) in the dialog to be focused.');
+          .toBe('MAT-DIALOG-CONTAINER', 'Expected dialog container to be focused.');
     }));
 
+    it('should focus the first tabbable element of the dialog on open when autoFocus is enabled',
+      fakeAsync(() => {
+        dialog.open(PizzaMsg, {
+          viewContainerRef: testViewContainerRef,
+          autoFocus: true
+        });
+
+        viewContainerFixture.detectChanges();
+        flushMicrotasks();
+
+        expect(document.activeElement!.tagName)
+            .toBe('INPUT', 'Expected first tabbable element (input) in the dialog to be focused.');
+      }));
+
     it('should allow disabling focus of the first tabbable element', fakeAsync(() => {
       dialog.open(PizzaMsg, {
         viewContainerRef: testViewContainerRef,