diff --git a/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/SideNav.js b/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/SideNav.js
index 9d864eb310ac..e2f3364a9415 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/SideNav.js
+++ b/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/SideNav.js
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ const SideNav = React.forwardRef(function SideNav(props, ref) {
     <>
       {isFixedNav ? null : <div className={overlayClassName} />}
       <nav
+        aria-hidden={!expanded}
         ref={ref}
         className={`${prefix}--side-nav__navigation ${className}`}
         {...accessibilityLabel}
diff --git a/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/__tests__/__snapshots__/SideNav-test.js.snap b/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/__tests__/__snapshots__/SideNav-test.js.snap
index 8a426732cc79..068a79818428 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/__tests__/__snapshots__/SideNav-test.js.snap
+++ b/packages/react/src/components/UIShell/__tests__/__snapshots__/SideNav-test.js.snap
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ exports[`SideNav should render 1`] = `
     className="bx--side-nav__overlay"
   />
   <nav
+    aria-hidden={true}
     aria-label="Navigation"
     className="bx--side-nav__navigation bx--side-nav bx--side-nav--ux"
     onBlur={[Function]}