diff --git a/js/preferences/AudioPreferencesPanel.ts b/js/preferences/AudioPreferencesPanel.ts
index 6c5518eb..35f21316 100644
--- a/js/preferences/AudioPreferencesPanel.ts
+++ b/js/preferences/AudioPreferencesPanel.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import VoicingPanelSection from './VoicingPanelSection.js';
 import PreferencesPanelSection from './PreferencesPanelSection.js';
 import PickRequired from '../../../phet-core/js/types/PickRequired.js';
 import Emitter from '../../../axon/js/Emitter.js';
-import localeProperty from '../localeProperty.js';
 
 // constants
 const audioFeaturesString = JoistStrings.preferences.tabs.audio.audioFeatures.titleStringProperty;
@@ -42,17 +41,7 @@ class AudioPreferencesTabPanel extends VBox {
     const disposeEmitter = new Emitter();
 
     if ( audioModel.supportsVoicing ) {
-      const voicingPanelSection = new VoicingPanelSection( audioModel );
-      leftContent.addChild( voicingPanelSection );
-
-      // Voicing is only available in the 'en' locale. Strings for these controls are not translatable because the
-      // feature is not usable in other languages. If the locale is changed, Voicing is disabled and all related
-      // controls should be hidden. See https://github.com/phetsims/joist/issues/853.
-      const localeListener = ( locale: string ) => {
-        voicingPanelSection.visible = locale === 'en';
-      };
-      localeProperty.link( localeListener );
-      disposeEmitter.addListener( () => localeProperty.unlink( localeListener ) );
+      leftContent.addChild( new VoicingPanelSection( audioModel ) );
     }
 
     if ( audioModel.supportsSound ) {
diff --git a/js/preferences/PreferencesModel.ts b/js/preferences/PreferencesModel.ts
index 483cf533..f57122db 100644
--- a/js/preferences/PreferencesModel.ts
+++ b/js/preferences/PreferencesModel.ts
@@ -320,10 +320,18 @@ export default class PreferencesModel extends PhetioObject {
       voicingManager.enabledProperty.value = phet.chipper.queryParameters.voicingInitiallyEnabled;
 
       // Voicing is only available in the 'en' locale currently. If the locale is changed away from english, Voicing is
-      // disabled.
+      // disabled. The next time Voicing returns to 'en', Voicing will be enabled again.
+      let voicingDisabledFromLocale = false;
       localeProperty.link( locale => {
+
+        const englishLocale = locale.startsWith( 'en' );
         if ( voicingManager.enabledProperty.value ) {
-          voicingManager.enabledProperty.value = locale === 'en';
+          voicingManager.enabledProperty.value = englishLocale;
+          voicingDisabledFromLocale = true;
+        }
+        else if ( voicingDisabledFromLocale && englishLocale ) {
+          voicingManager.enabledProperty.value = true;
+          voicingDisabledFromLocale = false;
         }
       } );
 
diff --git a/js/preferences/PreferencesToggleSwitch.ts b/js/preferences/PreferencesToggleSwitch.ts
index c1c9f3d1..a24e4dd4 100644
--- a/js/preferences/PreferencesToggleSwitch.ts
+++ b/js/preferences/PreferencesToggleSwitch.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import Dimension2 from '../../../dot/js/Dimension2.js';
 import merge from '../../../phet-core/js/merge.js';
 import optionize from '../../../phet-core/js/optionize.js';
 import StrictOmit from '../../../phet-core/js/types/StrictOmit.js';
-import { GridBox, Node, NodeOptions, PDOMValueType } from '../../../scenery/js/imports.js';
+import { GridBox, Node, NodeOptions, PDOMValueType, SceneryConstants } from '../../../scenery/js/imports.js';
 import ToggleSwitch, { ToggleSwitchOptions } from '../../../sun/js/ToggleSwitch.js';
 import Tandem from '../../../tandem/js/Tandem.js';
 import Utterance, { TAlertable } from '../../../utterance-queue/js/Utterance.js';
@@ -129,6 +129,14 @@ class PreferencesToggleSwitch<T> extends Node {
     };
     property.lazyLink( valueListener );
 
+    // This component manages disabledOpacity, we don't want it to compound over subcomponents.
+    toggleSwitch.disabledOpacity = 1;
+    this.disabledOpacity = SceneryConstants.DISABLED_OPACITY;
+
+    this.enabledProperty.link( enabled => {
+      toggleSwitch.enabled = enabled;
+    } );
+
     // Layout using GridBox and layoutOptions will accomplish the following when all components are available.
     // [[labelNode]]         [[ToggleSwitch]]
     // [[descriptionNode                   ]]
diff --git a/js/preferences/VoicingPanelSection.ts b/js/preferences/VoicingPanelSection.ts
index 8563f715..f331dbfd 100644
--- a/js/preferences/VoicingPanelSection.ts
+++ b/js/preferences/VoicingPanelSection.ts
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class VoicingPanelSection extends PreferencesPanelSection {
     // Voicing feature only works when running in English. If running in a version where you can change locale,
     // indicate through the title that the feature will only work in English.
     const titleString = ( localeProperty.validValues && localeProperty.validValues.length > 1 ) ?
-                          voicingEnglishOnlyLabelString : voicingLabelString;
+                        voicingEnglishOnlyLabelString : voicingLabelString;
 
     // the checkbox is the title for the section and totally enables/disables the feature
     const voicingLabel = new Text( titleString, PreferencesDialog.PANEL_SECTION_LABEL_OPTIONS );
@@ -234,6 +234,11 @@ class VoicingPanelSection extends PreferencesPanelSection {
       content.visible = enabled;
     } );
 
+    const localeListener = ( locale: string ) => {
+      voicingEnabledSwitch.enabledProperty.value = locale.startsWith( 'en' );
+    };
+    localeProperty.link( localeListener );
+
     // Speak when voicing becomes initially enabled. First speech is done synchronously (not using utterance-queue)
     // in response to user input, otherwise all speech will be blocked on many platforms
     const voicingEnabledUtterance = new Utterance();
@@ -304,6 +309,7 @@ class VoicingPanelSection extends PreferencesPanelSection {
       pitchSlider.dispose();
       rateSlider.dispose();
       audioModel.voicingEnabledProperty.unlink( voicingEnabledPropertyListener );
+      localeProperty.unlink( localeListener );
       voicingEnabledSwitch.dispose();
       expandCollapseButton.dispose();
       toolbarEnabledSwitch.dispose();