diff --git a/api/current.txt b/api/current.txt
index f8b7bd9ffc6bc..cc6cce9be2cb4 100644
--- a/api/current.txt
+++ b/api/current.txt
@@ -2487,12 +2487,15 @@ package android.app {
 
   public static abstract class ActionBar.Tab {
     ctor public ActionBar.Tab();
+    method public abstract java.lang.CharSequence getContentDescription();
     method public abstract android.view.View getCustomView();
     method public abstract android.graphics.drawable.Drawable getIcon();
     method public abstract int getPosition();
     method public abstract java.lang.Object getTag();
     method public abstract java.lang.CharSequence getText();
     method public abstract void select();
+    method public abstract android.app.ActionBar.Tab setContentDescription(int);
+    method public abstract android.app.ActionBar.Tab setContentDescription(java.lang.CharSequence);
     method public abstract android.app.ActionBar.Tab setCustomView(android.view.View);
     method public abstract android.app.ActionBar.Tab setCustomView(int);
     method public abstract android.app.ActionBar.Tab setIcon(android.graphics.drawable.Drawable);
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ActionBar.java b/core/java/android/app/ActionBar.java
index 7acaec86716c9..46dc5ff582fbe 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ActionBar.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ActionBar.java
@@ -790,6 +790,37 @@ public abstract class ActionBar {
          * Select this tab. Only valid if the tab has been added to the action bar.
          */
         public abstract void select();
+
+        /**
+         * Set a description of this tab's content for use in accessibility support.
+         * If no content description is provided the title will be used.
+         *
+         * @param resId A resource ID referring to the description text
+         * @return The current instance for call chaining
+         * @see #setContentDescription(CharSequence)
+         * @see #getContentDescription()
+         */
+        public abstract Tab setContentDescription(int resId);
+
+        /**
+         * Set a description of this tab's content for use in accessibility support.
+         * If no content description is provided the title will be used.
+         *
+         * @param contentDesc Description of this tab's content
+         * @return The current instance for call chaining
+         * @see #setContentDescription(int)
+         * @see #getContentDescription()
+         */
+        public abstract Tab setContentDescription(CharSequence contentDesc);
+
+        /**
+         * Gets a brief description of this tab's content for use in accessibility support.
+         *
+         * @return Description of this tab's content
+         * @see #setContentDescription(CharSequence)
+         * @see #setContentDescription(int)
+         */
+        public abstract CharSequence getContentDescription();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/java/com/android/internal/app/ActionBarImpl.java b/core/java/com/android/internal/app/ActionBarImpl.java
index cfecca5188e38..90d19fd45f981 100644
--- a/core/java/com/android/internal/app/ActionBarImpl.java
+++ b/core/java/com/android/internal/app/ActionBarImpl.java
@@ -783,6 +783,7 @@ public class ActionBarImpl extends ActionBar {
         private Object mTag;
         private Drawable mIcon;
         private CharSequence mText;
+        private CharSequence mContentDesc;
         private int mPosition = -1;
         private View mCustomView;
 
@@ -878,6 +879,25 @@ public class ActionBarImpl extends ActionBar {
         public void select() {
             selectTab(this);
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public Tab setContentDescription(int resId) {
+            return setContentDescription(mContext.getResources().getText(resId));
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Tab setContentDescription(CharSequence contentDesc) {
+            mContentDesc = contentDesc;
+            if (mPosition >= 0) {
+                mTabScrollView.updateTab(mPosition);
+            }
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public CharSequence getContentDescription() {
+            return mContentDesc;
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/core/java/com/android/internal/widget/ScrollingTabContainerView.java b/core/java/com/android/internal/widget/ScrollingTabContainerView.java
index 71f9364c7bdb2..5baed75e58db7 100644
--- a/core/java/com/android/internal/widget/ScrollingTabContainerView.java
+++ b/core/java/com/android/internal/widget/ScrollingTabContainerView.java
@@ -443,6 +443,8 @@ public class ScrollingTabContainerView extends HorizontalScrollView
                     mTextView.setVisibility(GONE);
                     mTextView.setText(null);
                 }
+
+                setContentDescription(tab.getContentDescription());
             }
         }