diff --git a/lms/templates/dashboard.html b/lms/templates/dashboard.html
index 13ab35fef9..0db3c6a897 100644
--- a/lms/templates/dashboard.html
+++ b/lms/templates/dashboard.html
@@ -277,10 +277,21 @@
 
 <section id="email-settings-modal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="email-settings-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
-      <h2 id="email-settings-title">${_('Email Settings for {course_number}').format(course_number='<span id="email_settings_course_number"></span>')}<span class="sr">, ${_("modal open")}</span></h2>
+      <h2 id="email-settings-title">
+        ${_('Email Settings for {course_number}').format(course_number='<span id="email_settings_course_number"></span>')}
+        <span class="sr">,
+          ## Translators: this text gives status on if the modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen) is open or not
+          ${_("modal open")}
+        </span>
+      </h2>
       <hr/>
     </header>
 
@@ -298,10 +309,21 @@
 
 <section id="password_reset_complete" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="password-reset-email">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
-      <h2 id="password-reset-email">${_('Password Reset Email Sent')}<span class="sr">, ${_("modal open")}</span></h2>
+      <h2 id="password-reset-email">
+        ${_('Password Reset Email Sent')}
+        <span class="sr">,
+          ## Translators: this text gives status on if the modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen) is open or not
+          ${_("modal open")}
+        </span>
+      </h2>
       <hr/>
     </header>
     <div>
@@ -316,10 +338,21 @@
 
 <section id="change_email" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="change_email_title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
-      <h2><span id="change_email_title">${_("Change Email")}</span><span class="sr">, ${_("modal open")}</span></h2>
+      <h2>
+        <span id="change_email_title">${_("Change Email")}</span>
+        <span class="sr">,
+          ## Translators: this text gives status on if the modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen) is open or not
+          ${_("modal open")}
+        </span>
+      </h2>
       <hr/>
     </header>
     <div id="change_email_body">
@@ -348,10 +381,21 @@
 
 <section id="apply_name_change" class="modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="change-name-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
-      <h2 id="change-name-title">${_("Change your name")}<span class="sr">, ${_("modal open")}</span></h2>
+      <h2 id="change-name-title">
+        ${_("Change your name")}
+        <span class="sr">,
+          ## Translators: this text gives status on if the modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen) is open or not
+          ${_("modal open")}
+        </span>
+      </h2>
       <hr/>
     </header>
     <div id="change_name_body">
@@ -377,9 +421,21 @@
 
 <section id="unenroll-modal" class="modal unenroll-modal" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="alertdialog" aria-labelledy="unenrollment-modal-title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
+
     <header>
-      <h2 id="unenrollment-modal-title">${_('<span id="track-info"></span> {course_number}?  <span id="refund-info"></span>').format(course_number='<span id="unenroll_course_number"></span>')}<span class="sr">, ${_("modal open")}</span></h2>
+      <h2 id="unenrollment-modal-title">
+        ${_('<span id="track-info"></span> {course_number}?  <span id="refund-info"></span>').format(course_number='<span id="unenroll_course_number"></span>')}
+        <span class="sr">,
+          ## Translators: this text gives status on if the modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen) is open or not
+          ${_("modal open")}
+        </span>
+      </h2>
       <hr/>
     </header>
     <div id="unenroll_error" class="modal-form-error"></div>
diff --git a/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html b/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html
index 5c6fc8e9f0..19893b97d7 100644
--- a/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/forgot_password_modal.html
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@
 <%! from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse %>
 <section id="forgot-password-modal" class="modal" role="dialog" aria-label="${_('Password Reset')}">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <div id="password-reset">
       <header>
diff --git a/lms/templates/help_modal.html b/lms/templates/help_modal.html
index 8dc7b6ef6c..ad55e67a78 100644
--- a/lms/templates/help_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/help_modal.html
@@ -16,7 +16,13 @@
 <section id="help-modal" class="modal" aria-hidden="true" role="dialog" aria-label="${_("{platform_name} Help").format(platform_name=MicrositeConfiguration.get_microsite_configuration_value("platform_name", settings.PLATFORM_NAME))}">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" id="help_wrapper">
     ## TODO: find a way to refactor this
-    <button class="close-modal "tabindex="0">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal "tabindex="0">
+      &#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
       <h2>${_('{span_start}{platform_name}{span_end} Help').format(span_start='<span class="edx">', span_end='</span>', platform_name=MicrositeConfiguration.get_microsite_configuration_value('platform_name', settings.PLATFORM_NAME))}</h2>
@@ -54,7 +60,13 @@ discussion_link = get_discussion_link(course) if course else None
   </div>
 
   <div class="inner-wrapper" id="feedback_form_wrapper">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">
+      &#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header></header>
 
@@ -82,7 +94,13 @@ discussion_link = get_discussion_link(course) if course else None
   </div>
 
   <div class="inner-wrapper" id="feedback_success_wrapper" tabindex="0">
-    <button class="close-modal "tabindex="0">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal" tabindex="0">
+      &#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
       <h2>${_('Thank You!')}</h2>
diff --git a/lms/templates/login_modal.html b/lms/templates/login_modal.html
index fb425a11c3..9cacaff51c 100644
--- a/lms/templates/login_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/login_modal.html
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@
 
 <section id="login-modal" class="modal login-modal">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+      <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+        <span class="sr">
+          ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+          ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
       <h2>${_("Log In")}</h2>
diff --git a/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html b/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html
index 96c85cbfdb..709e03a22a 100644
--- a/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html
+++ b/lms/templates/modal/_modal-settings-language.html
@@ -7,10 +7,21 @@
 
 <section id="change_language" class="modal modal-settings-language" aria-hidden="true">
   <div class="inner-wrapper" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="change_language_title">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <header>
-      <h2><span id="change_language_title">${_("Change Preferred Language")}</span><span class="sr">, ${_("modal open")}</span></h2>
+      <h2>
+        <span id="change_language_title">${_("Change Preferred Language")}</span>
+        <span class="sr">,
+          ## Translators: this text gives status on if the modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen) is open or not
+          ${_("modal open")}
+        </span>
+      </h2>
       <hr/>
     </header>
     <div id="change_language_body">
diff --git a/lms/templates/signup_modal.html b/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
index f80c700c7c..143e2e49d5 100644
--- a/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
+++ b/lms/templates/signup_modal.html
@@ -10,7 +10,12 @@
 
 <section id="signup-modal" class="modal signup-modal">
   <div class="inner-wrapper">
-    <button class="close-modal">&#10005; <span class="sr">${_('Close Modal')}</span></button>
+    <button class="close-modal">&#10005;
+      <span class="sr">
+        ## Translators: this is a control to allow users to exit out of this modal interface (a menu or piece of UI that takes the full focus of the screen)
+        ${_('Close Modal')}
+      </span>
+    </button>
 
     <div id="register">
       <header>