[Nfbc-info] Fw: [nabs-l] URGENT: Bookshare Needs Your Help

[Brandon Keith Biggs]

Hello,
I'm pretty sure most people have heard about WIPO, but here is the article 
Bookshare sent out.
It deals with making print material's accessible globally. If the treaty 
does what it is supposed to do, it will allow organizations like Bookshare, 
Learning Allie and NLS to become global, rather than just for Americans. 
There are some major opponents of WIPO though who are fighting for the 
treaty to do the opposite and say: "If you can buy it, you can borrow it".
This is ridiculous and extremely scary.
Please sign both the Whitehouse petition:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/4e4438ce56

and the NFB petition:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/f43c9aab46
/sid=2&reset=1

Thank you,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message----- 
From: Brandon Keith Biggs
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 10:17 AM
To: Sonja Biggs
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] URGENT: Bookshare Needs Your Help


Dear Brandon,

It's not typical for us to send you an email like this, but we
felt
this situation was so important it was necessary.

You may already be aware, but for years negotiations have been
moving
forward on what many have come to call the "Treaty for the Blind
-
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/8c6ac19ad5
" The goal of the international treaty is to make it possible
for
people who are blind, or have other print disabilities such as
dyslexia, to get access to the books they need for education,
employment and inclusion in society--no matter where they live.
It's
something we already do, with great success, in the United States
through Bookshare.

However, private interests are trying to alter the treaty in such
a
way that it would become useless--even harmful.  For example,
they're
trying to get language adopted that basically says: "if you can
buy
it, you can't borrow it." This is not only an attack on people
around
the world with print disabilities--it's also an attack on
libraries,
like Bookshare, and could have a drastic effect on the number of
books you have access to.

Our biggest worry is this becoming a treaty that could stop
Bookshare
from serving our users in the United States the way we do today.
We
need our government negotiating for a treaty that supports a
library
like Bookshare.

That's why we're working with a coalition of disability and
library
groups, including the National Federation of the Blind and the
American Council of the Blind, to fight back against the proposed
changes by these private interests.  We'll do everything we can
to
secure a treaty that both protects the access we have now and
that
will benefit people with print disabilities around the world--but
we
need your help.

We're asking you to take a moment to sign a petition on the White
House's website that urges the President to step up his support:
-
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/4e4438ce56
  If we can get to 100,000 signatures, the White House is
required to
respond to the petition and will, hopefully, take positive
action.
With your help we know we can reach that number.  We also
recommend
the petition -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/f43c9aab46
/sid=2&reset=1  at the National Federation of the Blind's site,
which is
particularly accessible.

Thank you for your time and support.  Together, we believe that
our
collective voice can make a real impact.

If you're interested in more background on the treaty, here are
some
articles and resources you can review:

Huffington Post piece by Jim on how the treaty is being poisoned
by
private interests:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/3f5de5c34d

WIRED Magazine article that gives some recent updates on the
treaty:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/7e58bb06a5

Sincerely,
Jim Fruchterman & Betsy Beaumon, Bookshare

P.S.  Please post the link to the White House petition on your
social
media to help spread the word and get your friends involved!
Again,
here is the link:  -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Benetech/39440e0084/377977e221/af6f03126e

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