Consumers, View Your 3 Bureau Credit Report and 3 Credit Scores Online Now - Click Here!
You are Here: CreditReporting.com > Credit Reports Topics > Free Annual Credit Report for the Blind
Free Annual Credit Reports for the Blind and Visually Impaired
The three national credit bureaus have committed to improving access for blind or visually impaired consumers to obtain their free annual credit reports online.
According to a press release on April 23, 2008 , Equifax, Experian and Trans Union in conjunction with the American Council for the Blind and the California Council of the Blind have begun work to make the AnnualCreditReport.com website more easily accessible for those with visual impairments. The improvements are expected to be available by October 31, 2008.
The goal is to make the free annual credit reports and related information in formats accessible by the blind online, and by the end of the year, to also make credit reports available in Braille format at no charge to eligible consumers who cannot view print reports.
Viewing credit reports and related information online will be developed in accordance with the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium to include accommodations for blind computer users who use screen reader and/or magnification tools on their computers and may rely on their keyboards instead of their mouse.
American consumers are entitled to copies of their credit reports for free once a year according to provisions in the Fair and Accurate Transactions Act of 2006 (FACT Act). According to the FACT Act the credit bureaus were also delegated with the responsibility of creating a central website www.annualcreditreport.com1, which provides consumers with information about obtaining their free reports. Consumers may obtain their free credit reports online, by phone and by mail.
Update:Experian now has a published mechanism for the blind to get their credit report, as follows:
If you are blind or visually impaired, you are eligible to receive your credit report in an alternate format such as Braille, Large Print or Audio CD. To obtain your report in an alternate format, call 1 888 EXPERIAN (888 397 3742) where you will be prompted to select an alternate format version of your request at the end of the transaction.
Annualcreditreport.com also has responded to the issue:Individuals with visual impairments may request their free annual credit reports in Braille, Large Print or Audio Format by telephone, toll free, 877-322-8228. After you call and provide the required personal information and certify that you are blind or visually impaired within the meaning of the Americans with Disabilities Act, you can then select your preferred alternative format. Your reports will be mailed via the U.S. Post Office within 15 days, but please allow an additional week for delivery.