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Accessibility MCP Server

Provides automated accessibility audits using axe-core, Lighthouse, and WAVE to deliver deterministic, WCAG-mapped results for URLs and local files.

Installation

Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.

Configuration

View docs

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "duds-accessibility-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/absolute/path/to/accessibility-mcp/dist/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "WAVE_API_KEY": "YOUR_WAVE_API_KEY",
        "WAVE_API_URL": "https://wave.webaim.org/api/request",
        "LIGHTHOUSE_TIMEOUT": "60000",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSER": "chromium",
        "PLAYWRIGHT_TIMEOUT": "30000",
        "LIGHTHOUSE_CHROME_FLAGS": "--headless --no-sandbox"
      }
    }
  }
}

You can run an Accessibility MCP Server to perform automated WCAG-compliant accessibility audits for web content. It leverages axe-core via Playwright, Lighthouse CLI, and an optional WAVE API to deliver machine-actionable results that help you identify and remediate accessibility issues across URLs, local files, and localhost deployments.

How to use

Set up the MCP server as part of your Cursor workflow to run automated accessibility audits. You can invoke axe-core, Lighthouse, or WAVE audits against web pages, local files, or local servers, and you will receive deterministic outputs that map findings to WCAG criteria with actionable context.

How to install

Follow these concrete steps to install and prepare the Accessibility MCP Server for use with your MCP client.

Configuration and runtime

The server runs as a local, stdio-based MCP server. You start it via a node command that points to the built JavaScript entry file.

Notes on environment and tooling

Optional environment controls let you tune timeouts and integrate the WAVE API. You can configure Playwright browser choice, Lighthouse timeouts, and the WAVE API settings. All results remain machine-actionable and deterministic, with explicit pass/fail/unknown outcomes.

Tools available through the MCP server

axe_audit runs automated accessibility checks using axe-core via Playwright. It supports URLs, local files, and localhost addresses. You can tailor checks with WCAG tags and browser choices.

Security and usage considerations

Keep your API keys and sensitive information in secure environments. When using the WAVE API, ensure your API key is kept secret and only used in trusted contexts. The server normalises results to a consistent schema to facilitate automated remediation.

Troubleshooting

If audits fail to run, check that the target URL or file path is accessible from the machine running the MCP server. Verify environment variables are set correctly and that the necessary browser binaries are installed for Playwright.

Available tools

axe_audit

Runs automated accessibility checks via axe-core integrated with Playwright. Supports URL, local file, and localhost targets with configurable WCAG tags and browser.

lighthouse_audit

Executes Lighthouse accessibility audits for broader performance and accessibility insights, with optional category selection and timeouts.

wave_audit

Uses the WAVE API for additional accessibility validation, serving local files via a temporary HTTP server when needed.