Braille, Large Print, and Audio Versions Also Available
The Nationwide Credit Reporting Agencies (NCRAs) reaffirmed their commitment to provide access to consumer credit reports for people who are blind or have low vision. The initiative, crafted with the American Council of the Blind and several blind consumers, will help improve the experiences of individuals who cannot read a standard print credit report.
Under the plan announced in July, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion will make online credit reports and related information more accessible for people with visual impairments through their jointly operated website, AnnualCreditReport.com. This is the official site to help consumers obtain free credit reports.
The initiative includes a renewed commitment to make credit reports available in braille, large print, and audio formats this summer.
“We are thrilled with the renewed commitment of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to provide accessible online credit information and large print, braille, and audio formats,” said Dan Spoone, Interim Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind. “This initiative allows people with visual impairments to independently monitor and review their credit reports as all members of the public should. These are critical tools for obtaining financial services, managing financial health, avoiding identity theft and protecting the privacy of our financial information.”
The initiative includes a renewed commitment to provide credit reports in braille, large print, and audio formats, and to design online credit reports and related web pages in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The guidelines help ensure that web sites are accessible to persons with disabilities.
The credit reporting agencies first worked with ACB over 15 years ago when free credit reports were first rolled out in the United States. ACB President Deb Cook Lewis commented, “We appreciate the three Nationwide Credit Reporting Agencies and their collaboration over many years and the structured negotiation process that brought us to today’s announcement.”
Braille, large print, and audio credit reports are available to people who are blind or low vision by calling 1-877-322-8228. Accessible online credit reports are available through annualcreditreport.com.