[Nfbk] Fwd: National Federation of the Blind Joins Stevie Wonder and World Blind Union in Calling Upon International Negotiators to Conclude a Successful Treaty for the Blind and Print Disabled

[Cathy Jackson]

Below you will find an interesting Press Release.
Cathy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Freeh, Jessica <JFreeh at nfb.org>
Date: Mon, Jun 24, 2013 at 10:09 AM
Subject: National Federation of the Blind Joins Stevie Wonder and World
Blind Union in Calling Upon International Negotiators to Conclude a
Successful Treaty for the Blind and Print Disabled
To: "State President, Puerto Rico" <arguza at attglobal.net>, "State
President, Nebraska" <amy.buresh74 at gmail.com>, "State President,
Connecticut" <erival at comcast.net>, "State President, Arizona" <
krezguy at cox.net>, "State President, New York" <office at nfbny.org>, "State
President, Oregon" <admin at mainstreetmontessori.org>, "State President,
Kentucky" <cathyj1949 at gmail.com>, Charlene Smyth <cs.nfbwv at verizon.net>,
"State President, Vermont" <deannaljones at comcast.net>, "State President,
Kansas" <donnajwood at cox.net>, "State President, North Dakota" <
diverson at midco.net>, "State President, Idaho" <elsiedickerson at ymail.com>,
"State President, Ohio" <eduffy at pobox.com>, "Schroeder, Fred" <
fschroeder at sks.com>, "State President, North Carolina" <
ghraynfbofnc at charter.net>, "State President, Missouri" <
gwunder at earthlink.net>, "State President, Pennsylvania" <president at nfbp.org>,
"State President, Tennessee" <nfb.tennessee at gmail.com>, "State President,
Minnesota" <jennifer.dunnam1829 at gmail.com>, "State President, Alaska" <
jnhburton at gci.net>, Joe Ruffalo <nfbnj at yahoo.com>, "State President,
Wisconsin" <johnfritz66 at gmail.com>, "State President, Wyoming" <
kthornbury at bresnan.net>, "State President, South Dakota" <
gatorbumps at rushmore.com>, Kimberly Flores <kimberly.aguillard at gmail.com>,
"State President, Massachusetts" <kshachmut at nfbma.org>, "State President,
Maine" <leonproctorjr at yahoo.com>, "State President, Delaware" <
lynne.majewski at gmail.com>, "State President, California" <
mwillows at sbcglobal.net>, "State President, Maryland" <melissa at riccobono.us>,
"State President, Iowa" <michael.nfbi at gmail.com>, "State President,
Washington" <k7uij at panix.com>, "State President, Hawaii" <nanifife at aol.com>,
"State President, Louisiana" <pallen at lcb-ruston.com>, "State President,
South Carolina" <parnell at sccoast.net>, "State President, Illinois" <
pattichang at att.net>, "Brown, Ron" <RB15 at iquest.net>, "State President,
Mississippi" <sgleese at city.jackson.ms.us>, "State President, Colorado" <
slabarre at labarrelaw.com>, "State President, Alabama" <joy.harris at dwx.com>,
"State President, Arkansas" <tosheeler at cox.net>, "State President, District
of Columbia" <callaway.shawn at gmail.com>, "State President, Florida" <
danjhicks at yahoo.com>, "State President, Georgia" <gscott at nfbga.org>, "State
President, Michigan" <president.nfb.mi at gmail.com>, "State President,
Nevada" <realhappygirl1 at gmail.com>, "State President, New Hampshire" <
cemcnabb21 at yahoo.com>, "State President, New Mexico" <avigil74 at gmail.com>,
"State President, Oklahoma" <jmassay1 at cox.net>, "State President, Rhode
Island" <silvara at cox.net>, "State President, Utah" <baconev at yahoo.com>,
"State President, Montana" <chiefblindtech at gmail.com>


 *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

* *

*CONTACT:*

Chris Danielsen****

Director of Public Relations****

National Federation of the Blind****

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330****

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)****

cdanielsen at nfb.org ****

** **

Fredric Schroeder****

First Vice President****

National Federation of the Blind****

First Vice President****

World Blind Union****

(703) 319-9226****

fschroeder at sks.com****

** **

*National Federation of the Blind Joins Stevie Wonder and
World Blind Union in Calling Upon International Negotiators to Conclude a
Successful Treaty for the Blind and Print Disabled*

* *

*Baltimore, Maryland (June 24, 2013):* The National Federation of the
Blind<http://www.nfb.org/>(NFB) today joined Stevie Wonder and the
World Blind Union in calling upon
international negotiators to conclude a successful treaty for the blind and
print disabled at a diplomatic conference taking place right now in
Marrakesh, Morocco.  Negotiators have only until Friday to solve the book
famine for the blind.  In most parts of the world, the blind only have
access to about 1 percent of published works in accessible formats like
Braille, audio recordings, and accessible electronic text.  In the United
States, the situation is only slightly better with less than 5 percent of
published works available to the blind.****

** **

The treaty proposal would accomplish two major objectives: creating
exceptions and limitations to copyright law that would permit the blind to
reproduce books into accessible formats, and establishing a system where
accessible formats of works could be shared across international borders.***
*

** **

Even though this treaty proposal was officially introduced in 2009 before
the World Intellectual Property Organization and has been vigorously
debated since then, the negotiators have still not agreed to language on
key portions of the text. ****

** **

“The negotiators must quickly come to a consensus and stop blocking access
to books for the blind,” said Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind.  ****

** **

“There is a significant risk that this diplomatic conference could end
without a treaty and that would be a travesty,” said Dr. Fredric Schroeder,
who serves as first vice president of the NFB and also first vice president
of the World Blind Union.****

** **

Today, WBU held a press conference <http://t.co/5vR7IxMmGx> in front of the
Palais de Congres in Marrakesh where the treaty negotiations are
occurring.  At that conference, Schroeder joined other blind leaders from
around the world and called upon the negotiators to keep the text simple
and effective so that blind individuals and those serving them can use the
treaty on the ground.  The proposed treaty text still contains major
portions that have not gained consensus or are so convoluted and
complicated that they would not help to get more books into the hands of
blind persons worldwide.  ****

** **

The WBU held its event behind a large pile of books locked up by chains and
a padlock.  The NFB joins the WBU in demanding that the negotiators unlock
the chains and free up the flow of information to the blind.  This WBU
event follows Stevie Wonder’s message posted last
week<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Dp2s3CidI>to the negotiators
urging them to conclude negotiations successfully.
****

** **

** **

*###*

* *

* *

*About the National Federation of the Blind*

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest, and most
influential nationwide membership organization of blind people in the
United States.  Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for the civil rights and
equality of blind Americans, and develops innovative education, technology,
and training programs to provide the blind and those who are losing vision
with the tools they need to become independent and successful.  We need
your support.  To make a donation, please go to www.nfb.org.****

** **
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20130624/f2284a88/attachment.html>