For comparison, I had a much better passport-verification experience with Wise. As a blind VoiceOver user, I found its process significantly easier: the app guided me through positioning my passport, captured the image automatically when it was ready, and correctly extracted my information. My account was created without any age-related problems.

Based on my personal experience, I would recommend Wise’s verification process as a positive accessibility example. I am specifically commenting on the accessibility of its identity-verification process, not making a general financial recommendation. This experience shows that passport verification can be made accessible when it includes clear guidance, automatic capture, and accurate processing.

Hi car_thief, I'm not blind, nor am I a patreon user, but I do have relevant professional experience that might be useful here. I don't want to detract from the topic of sharing experiences though, so if you (or anyone else reading this) aren't interested in hearing about how you can get a response out of Patreon, please skip the rest of this post. And obviously mods, feel free to remove it.

It looks like Patreon outsources age verification to a third party, which in no way absolves them of responsibility, but it might explain why they've been slow to reply. They previously entered into a digital accessibility settlement agreement the company reached with the American Council of the Blind which outlines exactly that obligation too.

A few questions:

• When you emailed them, did you use the subject line "Disabled Access"? It seems they require that, although the info is buried in the "Contact Us" section of their accessibility page. I just want to be sure you've not ended up in their spam folder.
• Did you submit the privacy request through their support form? If not, do you have the option (or ability, assuming it's accessible) to use their support form to get the suspension investigated? Choose the "I have a Trust and Safety question regarding my account." in the listbox. Make sure you use the exact same email address as your account, and include the info you provided here. It also has the option to include attachments, if you're willing to provide the photo you took of your ID. But please be aware that this is not guaranteed to be securely transmitted or stored. I personally would start with the info you provided here and get a response first before doing that.
• What region are you in? Depending on where you are, you might be able contact a professional body that deals with accessibility legal compliance, but it's very location dependent. Hopefully this won't be necessary.

I appreciate that this all asks you to do more than what you already have, and you shouldn't have needed to do any of it at all. If you are US based, you can try their phone number, but you shouldn't be required to do that either. They should have upheld their end of the deal by ensuring you had an accessible option.

I also think it's worth posting this on mainstream social media; companies like Patreon actively monitor large channels for negative user feedback. Complaining online often moves much larger mountains than you might realise, provided the complaint is somewhere they check. The fediverse certainly is not that.

Update — 24 September 2026:

Thank you for the support. There have been replies since my original post, but my creator page has not been restored.

William helped with cancelling my account-deletion request and referring the verification issue to Trust & Safety. I appreciate his assistance.

Tony from Trust & Safety has now clarified that uploading documents through their secure link would lead to manual verification, intended to avoid another incorrect automated result. However, he repeated the requirement for government-issued ID photos and a selfie while holding the ID, and said they have no other verification process.

That still leaves the accessibility problem unresolved. I am blind and use VoiceOver. I also have a physical disability affecting my right hand, which makes holding identification while positioning and operating a phone difficult.

I have asked for accessible assistance or a review of the documentation already submitted. The latest response does not offer assistance with taking the photographs or explain why my earlier documentation cannot be reviewed.

There is still no confirmation that my incorrect under-18 classification has been corrected, my restriction removed, or my creator page restored.

My concern is with Patreon’s process and its handling of these accessibility barriers. Calling the review “manual” does not, by itself, make the required photographs accessible for me to produce.

Update on my Patreon accessibility case:

Patreon’s Trust & Safety team has responded, but the issue is not resolved. They asked me to upload government-issued identification again and provide a selfie while holding it.

I am blind and use VoiceOver. I already completed Patreon’s identity-verification process, but the system incorrectly classified me as under 18, even though my passport shows that I was born in 1993. Repeating the same visually dependent process creates the same accessibility barrier and risks another incorrect result.

I have asked Patreon to manually review the information already submitted or provide an accessible verification method with direct assistance. I will not upload my identification again until Patreon explains why the original submission cannot be reviewed and addresses the accessibility problem.

I have given Patreon 14 calendar days to provide a clear response, correct the false under-18 determination, remove the restriction, and restore my creator page.

I am sharing this so other blind creators know about the potential accessibility problem. Please do not harass individual support workers; my concern is with the verification process and the unresolved decision.