This is nonsense, you can stick classes on semantic HTML elements just as easily as on a div.
And screen readers can handle elements nested inside a grouping div just fine, that’s how div’s are supposed to be used. The accessibility issues with div’s are when people repurpose them to take the place of existing semantic elements, because doing so requires handling a bunch of aria roles and attributes manually, and something invariably gets missed.
Screen readers do not announce divs. They only read from the AOM.
A <div> itself is treated as a generic, transparent box. It doesn't get keyboard focus, and it isn't added to the screen reader's elements list (like headings, links, or landmarks).
> I’ve usability tested and performed user research with many users needing assistive tools and I’ve used them myself as part of design.
Tell me how often screen readers announce divs that have no role attributes. You are continuing to spread misinformation
I’ve usability tested and performed user research with many users needing assistive tools and I’ve used them myself as part of design.
Basic HTML authoring is good practice for many reasons.