[nfbwatlk] [Wcb-l] FW: [leadership] World Braille Day Release from the WorldBlind Union

[Debby Phillips]

 ---- Original Message ------
From: "Sue Ammeter" <sue.ammeter at cablespeed.com
Subject: [Wcb-l] FW: [leadership] World Braille Day Release from 
the WorldBlind Union
Date sent: Fri, 2 Jan 2015 15:59:30 -0800





From: leadership [mailto:leadership-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of 
Kim Charlson via leadership
Sent: Friday, January 02, 2015 3:17 PM
To: Leadership at acb.org
Subject: [leadership] World Braille Day Release from the World 
Blind Union



Below is a press release issued from the World Blind Union on the 
occasion of World Braille Day.  It also discusses the Marrakesh 
treaty on copyright exceptions for the blind and visually 
impaired globally.



WBU logo



PRESS RELEASE



WORLD BRAILLE DAY

JANUARY 4, 2015



For about 200 years blind people have learned to read and write 
using braille.  Braille is a tactile alphabet system of 6 dots in 
a 3X2 grid used to represent letters, numbers and symbols for 
most of the world’s languages.  It plays an essential role in 
the lives of millions of blind people worldwide allowing them to 
access literature and study alongside their peers.  Braille was 
invented by a young blind man, Louis Braille, when he was 15 
years old (in 1824).  At the time Louis was enrolled in the Royal 
Institution for Blind Youth in Paris.  He wanted the right to 
read books just like other children and so he worked to create a 
tactile alphabet that would be easy to learn, replicate and use.

For blind students braille is the key to literacy and future 
employment; however, current copyright laws require schools to 
get permission to reproduce books in accessible formats such as 
braille or large print.  If countries have no copyright 
exceptions for blind users this creates a major barrier for the 
education of blind and partially sighted children who may not get 
access to the books and learning materials they need.

Furthermore, braille books produced by organizations that serve 
blind people in one country, such as Peru cannot be shared with 
another country such as Argentina, for example.  Each country 
needs to produce their own accessible books, creating needless 
duplication and increased costs.  These costs could be reduced if 
braille textbooks could be shared across international borders.

Over a number of years, the World Blind Union (WBU) worked with 
other international organizations and the World Intellectual 
Property Organization (WIPO) to create a treaty that would remove 
these barriers to the world’s knowledge.  The result was the 
Marrakesh Treaty which was adopted by WIPO in June 2013.



The Marrakesh Treaty is an international copyright agreement 
that, when ratified by 20 countries will come into force.  
Countries that ratify the Treaty will be required to have an 
exception to domestic copyright law for visually impaired and 
print disabled people accessible format books, such as braille 
books without the need for permission from the copyright holder.  
The Marrakesh Treaty also allows libraries for the blind and 
organizations that serve blind persons the right to share 
accessible versions of books and other works across borders, 
again without copyright holder permission.



To date the Marrakesh Treaty has been signed by 81 countries but 
only ratified by 4: India, El Salvador, the UAE, and Uruguay.   
The WBU is grateful that these countries realize the importance 
of this treaty for their blind and print disabled citizens.  
However to make this treaty truly effective we need all countries 
to ratify it so that millions of books can be produced in braille 
and other accessible formats.  Only countries that ratify the 
treaty can use it to benefit their blind citizens.  So we urge 
all countries to ratify this vital treaty in 2015.  More 
information including access to the full Marrakesh Treaty is 
available on the WBU website: 
http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/our-work/our-priorities/Pa
ges/right-2-read-campaign.aspx

This World Braille Day, we encourage everyone to contact their 
government to let them know the Right to Read is an important 
human right for all people and ask them to sign and ratify the 
Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for 
Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print 
Disabled.

World Braille Day is celebrated annually on January 4th in honor 
of Louis Braille, the inventor of braille who was born on this 
day in 1809.

The World Blind Union (WBU) is the global organization 
representing the estimated 285 million people worldwide who are 
blind or partially sighted.  Members consist of organizations run 
by blind people advocating on their own behalf, and organizations 
that serve the blind, in over 190 countries, as well as 
international organizations working in the field of vision 
impairment.  ​

For further information contact:



Marianne McQuillan,

Manager, Communications & Fund Development

Marianne.mcquillan at wbuoffice.org







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