diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/common.css b/src/wp-admin/css/common.css
index a5c0b402f5..2bc8771cec 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/css/common.css
+++ b/src/wp-admin/css/common.css
@@ -1831,13 +1831,15 @@ html.wp-toolbar {
 }
 
 .postbox .handlediv {
+	display: none;
 	float: right;
-	width: 33px;
+	width: 36px;
 	height: 36px;
+	padding: 0;
 }
 
 .js .postbox .handlediv {
-	cursor: pointer;
+	display: block;
 }
 
 .sortable-placeholder {
@@ -2770,19 +2772,23 @@ img {
 
 /* Metabox collapse arrow indicators */
 .js .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow:before,
-.js .meta-box-sortables .postbox .handlediv:before {
-	right: 12px;
+.js .meta-box-sortables .postbox .toggle-indicator:before {
+	position: relative;
+	left: -1px; /* fix the dashicon horizontal alignment */
+	display: inline-block;
 	font: normal 20px/1 dashicons;
 	speak: none;
-	display: inline-block;
-	padding: 8px 10px;
-	top: 0;
-	position: relative;
+	padding: 8px;
 	-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
 	-moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;
 	text-decoration: none !important;
 }
 
+.js .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow:before {
+	padding: 10px;
+	left: 0;
+}
+
 .js #widgets-left .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow {
 	display: none;
 }
@@ -2794,12 +2800,12 @@ img {
 
 /* Show the arrow only on hover */
 .js .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow:before,
-.js .meta-box-sortables .postbox .handlediv:before {
+.js .meta-box-sortables .postbox .toggle-indicator:before {
 	content: "\f142";
 }
 
 .js .widgets-holder-wrap.closed .sidebar-name-arrow:before,
-.js .meta-box-sortables .postbox.closed .handlediv:before {
+.js .meta-box-sortables .postbox.closed .handlediv .toggle-indicator:before {
 	content: "\f140";
 }
 
@@ -2925,6 +2931,7 @@ img {
 
 .widget-action:hover,
 .handlediv:hover,
+.handlediv:focus,
 .item-edit:hover,
 .sidebar-name:hover .sidebar-name-arrow,
 .accordion-section-title:hover:after {
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/css/widgets.css b/src/wp-admin/css/widgets.css
index d9481ad974..ccdfa9b469 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/css/widgets.css
+++ b/src/wp-admin/css/widgets.css
@@ -147,10 +147,8 @@ div#widgets-left .sidebar-name h3 {
 	margin: 0 10px 0 0;
 }
 
-div#widgets-left .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow:before {
-	right: 0;
-	top: 4px;
-	padding: 4px 6px 4px 4px;
+#widgets-left .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow:before {
+	padding: 9px;
 }
 
 #widgets-left #available-widgets,
@@ -250,8 +248,7 @@ div#widgets-right .sidebar-name h3 {
 }
 
 div#widgets-right .sidebar-name .sidebar-name-arrow:before {
-	right: 0;
-	top: 4px;
+	top: 2px;
 }
 
 div#widgets-right .widget-top {
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/template-functions.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/template-functions.php
index 515b7f1869..e3abbf93b0 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/template-functions.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/template-functions.php
@@ -989,8 +989,9 @@ function do_meta_boxes( $screen, $context, $object ) {
 					$hidden_class = in_array($box['id'], $hidden) ? ' hide-if-js' : '';
 					echo '<div id="' . $box['id'] . '" class="postbox ' . postbox_classes($box['id'], $page) . $hidden_class . '" ' . '>' . "\n";
 					if ( 'dashboard_browser_nag' != $box['id'] ) {
-						echo '<button class="handlediv button-link" title="' . esc_attr__( 'Click to toggle' ) . '" aria-expanded="true">';
-						echo '<span class="screen-reader-text">' . sprintf( __( 'Click to toggle %s panel' ), $box['title'] ) . '</span><br />';
+						echo '<button type="button" class="handlediv button-link" aria-expanded="true">';
+						echo '<span class="screen-reader-text">' . sprintf( __( 'Toggle panel: %s' ), $box['title'] ) . '</span>';
+						echo '<span class="toggle-indicator" aria-hidden="true"></span>';
 						echo '</button>';
 					}
 					echo "<h3 class='hndle'><span>{$box['title']}</span></h3>\n";
diff --git a/src/wp-admin/js/postbox.js b/src/wp-admin/js/postbox.js
index bee20cbc03..23bad8e80e 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/js/postbox.js
+++ b/src/wp-admin/js/postbox.js
@@ -6,34 +6,51 @@ var postboxes;
 	var $document = $( document );
 
 	postboxes = {
-		add_postbox_toggles : function(page, args) {
-			var self = this;
+		handle_click : function () {
+			var $el = $( this ),
+				p = $el.parent( '.postbox' ),
+				id = p.attr( 'id' ),
+				ariaExpandedValue;
 
-			self.init(page, args);
+			if ( 'dashboard_browser_nag' === id ) {
+				return;
+			}
 
-			$('.postbox .hndle, .postbox .handlediv').bind('click.postboxes', function( e ) {
-				var p = $(this).parent('.postbox'), id = p.attr('id');
+			p.toggleClass( 'closed' );
 
-				if ( 'dashboard_browser_nag' == id )
-					return;
+			ariaExpandedValue = ! p.hasClass( 'closed' );
 
-				e.preventDefault();
+			if ( $el.hasClass( 'handlediv' ) ) {
+				// The handle button was clicked.
+				$el.attr( 'aria-expanded', ariaExpandedValue );
+			} else {
+				// The handle heading was clicked.
+				$el.closest( '.postbox' ).find( 'button.handlediv' )
+					.attr( 'aria-expanded', ariaExpandedValue );
+			}
 
-				p.toggleClass( 'closed' );
-				$(this).attr( 'aria-expanded', ! p.hasClass( 'closed' ) );
+			if ( postboxes.page !== 'press-this' ) {
+				postboxes.save_state( postboxes.page );
+			}
 
-				if ( page != 'press-this' )
-					self.save_state(page);
-
-				if ( id ) {
-					if ( !p.hasClass('closed') && $.isFunction(postboxes.pbshow) )
-						self.pbshow(id);
-					else if ( p.hasClass('closed') && $.isFunction(postboxes.pbhide) )
-						self.pbhide(id);
+			if ( id ) {
+				if ( !p.hasClass('closed') && $.isFunction( postboxes.pbshow ) ) {
+					postboxes.pbshow( id );
+				} else if ( p.hasClass('closed') && $.isFunction( postboxes.pbhide ) ) {
+					postboxes.pbhide( id );
 				}
+			}
 
-				$document.trigger( 'postbox-toggled', p );
-			});
+			$document.trigger( 'postbox-toggled', p );
+		},
+
+		add_postbox_toggles : function (page, args) {
+			var $handles = $( '.postbox .hndle, .postbox .handlediv' );
+
+			this.page = page;
+			this.init( page, args );
+
+			$handles.on( 'click.postboxes',  this.handle_click );
 
 			$('.postbox .hndle a').click( function(e) {
 				e.stopPropagation();
@@ -46,20 +63,23 @@ var postboxes;
 			});
 
 			$('.hide-postbox-tog').bind('click.postboxes', function() {
-				var boxId = $(this).val(),
+				var $el = $(this),
+					boxId = $el.val(),
 					$postbox = $( '#' + boxId );
 
-				if ( $(this).prop('checked') ) {
+				if ( $el.prop( 'checked' ) ) {
 					$postbox.show();
-					if ( $.isFunction( postboxes.pbshow ) )
-						self.pbshow( boxId );
+					if ( $.isFunction( postboxes.pbshow ) ) {
+						postboxes.pbshow( boxId );
+					}
 				} else {
 					$postbox.hide();
-					if ( $.isFunction( postboxes.pbhide ) )
-						self.pbhide( boxId );
+					if ( $.isFunction( postboxes.pbhide ) ) {
+						postboxes.pbhide( boxId );
+					}
 				}
-				self.save_state(page);
-				self._mark_area();
+				postboxes.save_state( page );
+				postboxes._mark_area();
 				$document.trigger( 'postbox-toggled', $postbox );
 			});
 
@@ -67,14 +87,15 @@ var postboxes;
 				var n = parseInt($(this).val(), 10);
 
 				if ( n ) {
-					self._pb_edit(n);
-					self.save_order(page);
+					postboxes._pb_edit(n);
+					postboxes.save_order( page );
 				}
 			});
 		},
 
 		init : function(page, args) {
-			var isMobile = $(document.body).hasClass('mobile');
+			var isMobile = $( document.body ).hasClass( 'mobile' ),
+				$handleButtons = $( '.postbox .handlediv' );
 
 			$.extend( this, args || {} );
 			$('#wpbody-content').css('overflow','hidden');
@@ -91,8 +112,10 @@ var postboxes;
 				helper: 'clone',
 				opacity: 0.65,
 				stop: function() {
-					if ( $(this).find('#dashboard_browser_nag').is(':visible') && 'dashboard_browser_nag' != this.firstChild.id ) {
-						$(this).sortable('cancel');
+					var $el = $( this );
+
+					if ( $el.find( '#dashboard_browser_nag' ).is( ':visible' ) && 'dashboard_browser_nag' != this.firstChild.id ) {
+						$el.sortable('cancel');
 						return;
 					}
 
@@ -112,6 +135,12 @@ var postboxes;
 			}
 
 			this._mark_area();
+
+			// Set the handle buttons `aria-expanded` attribute initial value on page load.
+			$handleButtons.each( function () {
+				var $el = $( this );
+				$el.attr( 'aria-expanded', ! $el.parent( '.postbox' ).hasClass( 'closed' ) );
+			});
 		},
 
 		save_state : function(page) {