diff --git a/src/components/AnchorTable.test.tsx b/src/components/AnchorTable.test.tsx
index d4d5200..16c24ae 100644
--- a/src/components/AnchorTable.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AnchorTable.test.tsx
@@ -79,4 +79,25 @@ describe("AnchorTable", () => {
     );
     expect(screen.getAllByText("Deactivate")).toHaveLength(1);
   });
+
+  it("announces the new sort key and direction via a live region when clicked", () => {
+    const { container } = render(<AnchorTable anchors={anchors} />);
+    
+    // No announcement on initial render
+    const liveRegion = container.querySelector('[aria-live="polite"].sr-only');
+    expect(liveRegion).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("");
+
+    // Click to sort by Anchor name
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Anchor"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorted by Anchor, ascending");
+
+    // Click again to cycle to descending
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Anchor"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorted by Anchor, descending");
+
+    // Click again to cycle to unsorted
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Anchor"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorting cleared");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/AnchorTable.tsx b/src/components/AnchorTable.tsx
index 8586e4a..6aafd42 100644
--- a/src/components/AnchorTable.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AnchorTable.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { formatDate } from "@/lib/format";
 import { useSortableData } from "@/hooks/useSortableData";
 import { EmptyState } from "./EmptyState";
 import { SortableHeader } from "./SortableHeader";
+import { SortAnnouncer } from "./SortAnnouncer";
 
 type SortKey = "name" | "registeredAt" | "active";
 
@@ -35,7 +36,16 @@ export function AnchorTable({
   }
 
   return (
-    <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
+    <>
+      <SortAnnouncer
+        sort={sort}
+        labels={{
+          name: "Anchor",
+          registeredAt: "Registered",
+          active: "Status",
+        }}
+      />
+      <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
       <thead>
         <tr className="border-b border-zinc-800 text-zinc-400">
           <SortableHeader
@@ -101,6 +111,7 @@ export function AnchorTable({
         ))}
       </tbody>
     </table>
+    </>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/PoolTable.test.tsx b/src/components/PoolTable.test.tsx
index 8e4a5e2..edae6fe 100644
--- a/src/components/PoolTable.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PoolTable.test.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ import { PoolsPanel } from "./PoolsPanel";
 import * as api from "@/lib/api";
 import { Pool } from "@/lib/types";
 
+vi.mock("next/navigation", () => ({
+  useRouter: () => ({ replace: vi.fn() }),
+  useSearchParams: () => new URLSearchParams(""),
+  usePathname: () => "/dashboard",
+}));
+
 const pools: Pool[] = [
   { asset: "XLM", total: 300, anchors: 2 },
   { asset: "USDC", total: 100, anchors: 5 },
@@ -70,6 +76,27 @@ describe("PoolTable", () => {
     expect(tfoot).toHaveTextContent("500");
     expect(tfoot).toHaveTextContent("3 anchors");
   });
+
+  it("announces the new sort key and direction via a live region when clicked", () => {
+    const { container } = render(<PoolTable pools={pools} />);
+    
+    // No announcement on initial render
+    const liveRegion = container.querySelector('[aria-live="polite"].sr-only');
+    expect(liveRegion).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("");
+
+    // Click to sort by Total liquidity
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Total liquidity"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorted by Total liquidity, ascending");
+
+    // Click again to cycle to descending
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Total liquidity"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorted by Total liquidity, descending");
+
+    // Click again to cycle to unsorted
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Total liquidity"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorting cleared");
+  });
 });
 
 describe("PoolsPanel", () => {
@@ -78,16 +105,16 @@ describe("PoolsPanel", () => {
     render(<PoolsPanel />);
     // wait for loading -> ready state
     await waitFor(() =>
-      expect(screen.getByRole("search", { name: "Pools search and refresh" })).toBeInTheDocument(),
+      expect(screen.getByRole("search", { name: "Pools search" })).toBeInTheDocument(),
     );
     const searchRegion = screen.getByRole("search", {
-      name: "Pools search and refresh",
+      name: "Pools search",
     });
     expect(
       within(searchRegion).getByRole("textbox", { name: "Search pools" }),
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(
-      within(searchRegion).getByRole("button", { name: /refresh/i }),
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: /refresh/i }),
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/PoolTable.tsx b/src/components/PoolTable.tsx
index aeb7645..5aab3bd 100644
--- a/src/components/PoolTable.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PoolTable.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { formatAmount, pluralize } from "@/lib/format";
 import { useSortableData } from "@/hooks/useSortableData";
 import { EmptyState } from "./EmptyState";
 import { SortableHeader } from "./SortableHeader";
+import { SortAnnouncer } from "./SortAnnouncer";
 
 type SortKey = "asset" | "total" | "anchors";
 
@@ -26,7 +27,16 @@ export function PoolTable({ pools }: { pools: Pool[] }) {
   }
 
   return (
-    <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
+    <>
+      <SortAnnouncer
+        sort={sort}
+        labels={{
+          asset: "Asset",
+          total: "Total liquidity",
+          anchors: "Anchors",
+        }}
+      />
+      <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
       <thead>
         <tr className="border-b border-zinc-800 text-zinc-400">
           <SortableHeader
@@ -75,6 +85,7 @@ export function PoolTable({ pools }: { pools: Pool[] }) {
         </tr>
       </tfoot>
     </table>
+    </>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/SettlementTable.test.tsx b/src/components/SettlementTable.test.tsx
index f03fab8..21aed26 100644
--- a/src/components/SettlementTable.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SettlementTable.test.tsx
@@ -125,4 +125,25 @@ describe("SettlementTable sorting", () => {
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Amount"));
     expect(header).toHaveAttribute("aria-sort", "descending");
   });
+
+  it("announces the new sort key and direction via a live region when clicked", () => {
+    const { container } = render(<SettlementTable settlements={settlements} />);
+    
+    // No announcement on initial render
+    const liveRegion = container.querySelector('[aria-live="polite"].sr-only');
+    expect(liveRegion).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("");
+
+    // Click to sort by Amount
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Amount"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorted by Amount, ascending");
+
+    // Click again to cycle to descending
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Amount"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorted by Amount, descending");
+
+    // Click again to cycle to unsorted
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText("Sort by Amount"));
+    expect(liveRegion).toHaveTextContent("Sorting cleared");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/SettlementTable.tsx b/src/components/SettlementTable.tsx
index 481a326..2c1e0e5 100644
--- a/src/components/SettlementTable.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SettlementTable.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { useSortableData } from "@/hooks/useSortableData";
 import { StatusBadge } from "./StatusBadge";
 import { EmptyState } from "./EmptyState";
 import { SortableHeader } from "./SortableHeader";
+import { SortAnnouncer } from "./SortAnnouncer";
 
 type SortKey = "anchor" | "amount" | "status";
 
@@ -46,7 +47,16 @@ export function SettlementTable({
   );
 
   return (
-    <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
+    <>
+      <SortAnnouncer
+        sort={sort}
+        labels={{
+          anchor: "Anchor",
+          amount: "Amount",
+          status: "Status",
+        }}
+      />
+      <table className="w-full text-left text-sm">
       <thead>
         <tr className="border-b border-zinc-800 text-zinc-400">
           <th className="py-2 font-medium">#</th>
@@ -130,6 +140,7 @@ export function SettlementTable({
         </tr>
       </tfoot>
     </table>
+    </>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/SortAnnouncer.tsx b/src/components/SortAnnouncer.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37397c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/SortAnnouncer.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { SortState } from "@/hooks/useSortableData";
+
+export interface SortAnnouncerProps<K extends string> {
+  sort: SortState<K> | null;
+  labels: Record<K, string>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * A visually hidden component that announces sort changes to screen readers
+ * via an aria-live region. No announcement is made on initial mount.
+ */
+export function SortAnnouncer<K extends string>({
+  sort,
+  labels,
+}: SortAnnouncerProps<K>) {
+  const [announcement, setAnnouncement] = useState("");
+  const prevSortRef = useRef<SortState<K> | null>(sort);
+  const isFirstRender = useRef(true);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isFirstRender.current) {
+      isFirstRender.current = false;
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const prevSort = prevSortRef.current;
+    if (prevSort?.key === sort?.key && prevSort?.direction === sort?.direction) {
+      return;
+    }
+    prevSortRef.current = sort;
+
+    if (sort) {
+      const label = labels[sort.key] || String(sort.key);
+      const direction = sort.direction === "asc" ? "ascending" : "descending";
+      setAnnouncement(`Sorted by ${label}, ${direction}`);
+    } else {
+      setAnnouncement("Sorting cleared");
+    }
+  }, [sort, labels]);
+
+  return (
+    <div className="sr-only" aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true">
+      {announcement}
+    </div>
+  );
+}