diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 19e68806f..0c90317d9 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     <meta charset="utf-8">
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1,user-scalable=no">
     <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/favicon.png">
+    <!-- putting styles here to avoid having to wait for styles to load up -->
     <style id="splashscreen">
      #splash {
        --scale: 1;
@@ -114,13 +115,13 @@
   </head>
   <body style="margin: 0; padding: 0">
     <noscript>To use Pleroma, please enable JavaScript.</noscript>
-    <!-- putting styles here to avoid having to wait for styles to load up -->
     <div id="splash">
-      <div id="splash-credit">
+      <!-- we are hiding entire graphic so no point showing credit -->
+      <div aria-hidden="true" id="splash-credit">
         Art by pipivovott
       </div>
       <div id="splash-container">
-        <div id="mascot-container">
+        <div aria-hidden="true" id="mascot-container">
           <div id="throbber">
             <div class="chunk" id="chunk-P">
             </div>
@@ -133,7 +134,8 @@
         </div>
         <div id="status" class="css-ok">
           <!-- (｡>﹏<) -->
-          <span class="initial-text">(｡&gt;﹏&lt;)</span>
+          <!-- it's a pseudographic, don't want screenreader read out nonsense -->
+          <span aria-hidden="true" class="initial-text">(｡&gt;﹏&lt;)</span>
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
