[nfbwatlk] About Time

[Alco Canfield]

Stevie Wonder's vision for the blind and visually impaired comes true
October 24th, 2010 12:07 pm ET
In an unprecedented United Nations-supported initiative, people who are
blind and
those who have other forms of visual disability will have access to
published works
through publisher intermediaries who will create accessible formats of
publications
and share them with specialized libraries.
The initiative is in line with the Declaration by the world-famous
singer-songwriter
and UN Messenger for Peace Stevie Wonder who on 20 September 2010 called on
the international
community to take action to enhance accessibility for all those with
physical disabilities.
The new initiative aims to ensure that people with print disabilities in
both developing
and developed countries have equal access to published works as persons
without print
disabilities.
The arrangement was announced on 23 October 2010 at the end of the UN World
Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO) meeting in the Indian capital, New Delhi.
'The success of this project - which represents an effective global
partnership for
development - will require commitment and investment of all concerned,'
said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry
eawho attended the meeting in New Delhi.
Mr. Wonder made his call when he spokeon at the opening of the annual
meetings of
WIPO Assembliesin Geneva, where he challenged delegates to conclude an
agreement
on improved accessibility to copyright protected works by visually impaired
persons
(VIP-SO).
HE was launching his '
Declaration of freedom for people with disabilities
' at the start of the annual meeting of Member States of WIPO.
WONDER said then that the declaration was 'a call to action, a plan to
empower the
independence of people with disabilities by providing them with the tools to

learn
and grow.'
'Through your legislative efforts, incentives can be created to advance the
blind
and visually disabled towards the promise of a better life,' he told the
ministers
and policy-makers from WIPO'COMSO 184 Member States.
It is estimated that only five percent of the world's one million print
titles that
are published every year are accessible to the some 340 million around the
world
who are blind, visually impaired or who live with other print disabilities.
Under the initiative, specialized organizations globally, such as libraries
for the
blind, have taken on the task of adapting these books into Daisy, Braille
audio or
special digital formats.
WIPO is collaborating with organizations representing authors, publishers
and blind
and low vision persons, including the World Blind Union and the
International Publishers
Association to provide access to a wider range of accessible books.

Warmly,

Marlaina

I use to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure!

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