diff --git a/packages/apputils-extension/src/statusbarplugin.ts b/packages/apputils-extension/src/statusbarplugin.ts
index 253ccce47b6c..2ad90507a4a9 100644
--- a/packages/apputils-extension/src/statusbarplugin.ts
+++ b/packages/apputils-extension/src/statusbarplugin.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
 import { IStatusBar } from '@jupyterlab/statusbar';
 import { ITranslator, nullTranslator } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
 import { Title, Widget } from '@lumino/widgets';
+import { KeyboardEvent } from 'react';
 
 /**
  * A plugin that provides a kernel status item to the status bar.
@@ -49,8 +50,25 @@ export const kernelStatus: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<IKernelStatusModel> = {
       await sessionDialogs.selectKernel(item.model.sessionContext);
     };
 
+    const changeKernelOnKeyDown = async (
+      event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>
+    ) => {
+      if (
+        event.key === 'Enter' ||
+        event.key === 'Spacebar' ||
+        event.key === ' '
+      ) {
+        event.preventDefault();
+        event.stopPropagation();
+        return changeKernel();
+      }
+    };
+
     // Create the status item.
-    const item = new KernelStatus({ onClick: changeKernel }, translator);
+    const item = new KernelStatus(
+      { onClick: changeKernel, onKeyDown: changeKernelOnKeyDown },
+      translator
+    );
 
     const providers = new Set<(w: Widget | null) => ISessionContext | null>();
 
@@ -128,6 +146,17 @@ export const runningSessionsStatus: JupyterFrontEndPlugin<void> = {
   ) => {
     const item = new RunningSessions({
       onClick: () => app.shell.activateById('jp-running-sessions'),
+      onKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => {
+        if (
+          event.key === 'Enter' ||
+          event.key === 'Spacebar' ||
+          event.key === ' '
+        ) {
+          event.preventDefault();
+          event.stopPropagation();
+          app.shell.activateById('jp-running-sessions');
+        }
+      },
       serviceManager: app.serviceManager,
       translator
     });
diff --git a/packages/apputils/src/kernelstatuses.tsx b/packages/apputils/src/kernelstatuses.tsx
index fe8d36c9d405..3b2f6fb08307 100644
--- a/packages/apputils/src/kernelstatuses.tsx
+++ b/packages/apputils/src/kernelstatuses.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
 } from '@jupyterlab/translation';
 import { VDomModel, VDomRenderer } from '@jupyterlab/ui-components';
 import { JSONArray, JSONExt } from '@lumino/coreutils';
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { KeyboardEvent } from 'react';
 import { ISessionContext } from './sessioncontext';
 
 /**
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ function KernelStatusComponent(
   return (
     <TextItem
       onClick={props.handleClick}
+      onKeyDown={props.handleKeyDown}
       source={`${props.kernelName}${statusText}`}
       title={trans.__('Change kernel for %1', props.activityName)}
+      tabIndex={0}
     />
   );
 }
@@ -78,6 +80,12 @@ namespace KernelStatusComponent {
      */
     handleClick: () => void;
 
+    /**
+     * A key down handler for the kernel status component. By default
+     * we have it bring up the kernel change dialog.
+     */
+    handleKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => void;
+
     /**
      * The name the kernel.
      */
@@ -111,6 +119,7 @@ export class KernelStatus extends VDomRenderer<KernelStatus.Model> {
     super(new KernelStatus.Model(translator));
     this.translator = translator || nullTranslator;
     this._handleClick = opts.onClick;
+    this._handleKeyDown = opts.onKeyDown;
     this.addClass('jp-mod-highlighted');
   }
 
@@ -127,6 +136,7 @@ export class KernelStatus extends VDomRenderer<KernelStatus.Model> {
           kernelName={this.model.kernelName}
           activityName={this.model.activityName}
           handleClick={this._handleClick}
+          handleKeyDown={this._handleKeyDown}
           translator={this.translator}
         />
       );
@@ -135,6 +145,7 @@ export class KernelStatus extends VDomRenderer<KernelStatus.Model> {
 
   translator: ITranslator;
   private _handleClick: () => void;
+  private _handleKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => void;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -271,6 +282,12 @@ export namespace KernelStatus {
      * we launch a kernel selection dialog.
      */
     onClick: () => void;
+
+    /**
+     * A key press handler for the item. By default
+     * we launch a kernel selection dialog.
+     */
+    onKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => void;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/apputils/src/runningSessions.tsx b/packages/apputils/src/runningSessions.tsx
index d7199faec972..a39ebc36b1e9 100644
--- a/packages/apputils/src/runningSessions.tsx
+++ b/packages/apputils/src/runningSessions.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {
   VDomModel,
   VDomRenderer
 } from '@jupyterlab/ui-components';
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { KeyboardEvent } from 'react';
 import { GroupItem, TextItem } from '@jupyterlab/statusbar';
 
 /**
@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@ function RunningSessionsComponent(
   props: RunningSessionsComponent.IProps
 ): React.ReactElement<RunningSessionsComponent.IProps> {
   return (
-    <GroupItem spacing={HALF_SPACING} onClick={props.handleClick}>
+    <GroupItem
+      tabIndex={0}
+      spacing={HALF_SPACING}
+      onClick={props.handleClick}
+      onKeyDown={props.handleKeyDown}
+    >
       <GroupItem spacing={HALF_SPACING}>
         <TextItem source={props.terminals} />
         <terminalIcon.react left={'1px'} top={'3px'} stylesheet={'statusBar'} />
@@ -59,6 +64,11 @@ namespace RunningSessionsComponent {
    * The props for rendering the RunningSessionsComponent.
    */
   export interface IProps {
+    /**
+     * A key down handler for the component. By default this is used
+     * to activate the running sessions side panel.
+     */
+    handleKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => void;
     /**
      * A click handler for the component. By default this is used
      * to activate the running sessions side panel.
@@ -88,6 +98,7 @@ export class RunningSessions extends VDomRenderer<RunningSessions.Model> {
     super(new RunningSessions.Model());
     this._serviceManager = opts.serviceManager;
     this._handleClick = opts.onClick;
+    this._handleKeyDown = opts.onKeyDown;
     this.translator = opts.translator || nullTranslator;
     this._trans = this.translator.load('jupyterlab');
 
@@ -122,6 +133,7 @@ export class RunningSessions extends VDomRenderer<RunningSessions.Model> {
         sessions={this.model.sessions}
         terminals={this.model.terminals}
         handleClick={this._handleClick}
+        handleKeyDown={this._handleKeyDown}
       />
     );
   }
@@ -165,6 +177,7 @@ export class RunningSessions extends VDomRenderer<RunningSessions.Model> {
   protected translator: ITranslator;
   private _trans: TranslationBundle;
   private _handleClick: () => void;
+  private _handleKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => void;
   private _serviceManager: ServiceManager.IManager;
 }
 
@@ -225,6 +238,12 @@ export namespace RunningSessions {
      */
     onClick: () => void;
 
+    /**
+     * A key down handler for the item. By default this is used
+     * to activate the running sessions side panel.
+     */
+    onKeyDown: (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => void;
+
     /**
      * The application language translator.
      */
diff --git a/packages/codeeditor/src/lineCol.tsx b/packages/codeeditor/src/lineCol.tsx
index 0ca036cf5ba6..dfeeacfd69d4 100644
--- a/packages/codeeditor/src/lineCol.tsx
+++ b/packages/codeeditor/src/lineCol.tsx
@@ -233,11 +233,26 @@ function LineColComponent(
 ): React.ReactElement<LineColComponent.IProps> {
   const translator = props.translator || nullTranslator;
   const trans = translator.load('jupyterlab');
+  const keydownHandler = (event: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLImageElement>) => {
+    if (
+      event.key === 'Enter' ||
+      event.key === 'Spacebar' ||
+      event.key === ' '
+    ) {
+      event.preventDefault();
+      event.stopPropagation();
+      props.handleClick();
+    } else {
+      return;
+    }
+  };
   return (
     <TextItem
       onClick={props.handleClick}
       source={trans.__('Ln %1, Col %2', props.line, props.column)}
       title={trans.__('Go to line number…')}
+      tabIndex={0}
+      onKeyDown={keydownHandler}
     />
   );
 }