diff --git a/frontend/src/components/worksheets/items/ActionButtons.js b/frontend/src/components/worksheets/items/ActionButtons.js
index 5c1b9be65..ac4b82b97 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/worksheets/items/ActionButtons.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/worksheets/items/ActionButtons.js
@@ -11,12 +11,6 @@ import MenuItem from '@material-ui/core/MenuItem';
 
 const StyledMenuItem = withStyles((theme) => ({
     root: {
-        '&:focus': {
-            backgroundColor: theme.palette.primary.main,
-            '& .MuiListItemIcon-root, & .MuiListItemText-primary': {
-                color: theme.palette.common.white,
-            },
-        },
         border: '2px solid #d3d4d5',
     },
 }))(MenuItem);
@@ -76,6 +70,8 @@ class ActionButtons extends React.Component<{
                             color='inherit'
                             id='upload-button'
                             aria-label='Add New Upload'
+                            aria-controls='upload-menu'
+                            aria-haspopup='true'
                             onClick={showUploadMenu}
                             disabled={!editPermission}
                         >
@@ -99,7 +95,24 @@ class ActionButtons extends React.Component<{
                             open={Boolean(uploadAnchor)}
                             onClose={closeUploadMenu}
                         >
-                            <StyledMenuItem onClick={closeUploadMenu}>
+                            {/* we need to hide the first menuItem
+                            but make it available for accessibility
+                            reference: https://snook.ca/archives/
+                            html_and_css/hiding-content-for-accessibility */}
+                            <StyledMenuItem
+                                key='placeholder'
+                                style={{
+                                    position: 'absolute',
+                                    overflow: 'hidden',
+                                    clip: 'rect(0 0 0 0)',
+                                    height: '1px',
+                                    width: '1px',
+                                    margin: '-1px',
+                                    padding: 0,
+                                    border: 0,
+                                }}
+                            />
+                            <StyledMenuItem key='file-upload-item' onClick={closeUploadMenu}>
                                 <label
                                     className={classes.uploadLabel}
                                     htmlFor='codalab-file-upload-input'
@@ -107,7 +120,7 @@ class ActionButtons extends React.Component<{
                                     File(s) Upload
                                 </label>
                             </StyledMenuItem>
-                            <StyledMenuItem onClick={closeUploadMenu}>
+                            <StyledMenuItem key='folder-upload-item' onClick={closeUploadMenu}>
                                 <label
                                     className={classes.uploadLabel}
                                     htmlFor='codalab-dir-upload-input'