[Nfbf-l] Bookshare: We Have a Treaty.and It's Great

[Alan Dicey]

Bookshare: We Have a Treaty.and It's Great
Dear Bookshare Supporter,

We wanted to follow up on our last email regarding the "Treaty for the 
 Blind" to share some exciting news: we have a treaty.and it's great!

Thanks to the petition signing, the calls, and the public conversation you 
helped generate, the United States government stood up to private interests 
who sought to derail the progress we've made. Ultimately, the United States 
delegation helped to negotiate a treaty that will make it possible for 
people who are blind, or have other print disabilities such as dyslexia, to 
get access to the books they need no matter where they live.

So what does the "Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works 
for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled" 
mean for Bookshare? Ideally, that we can serve more users better! Once the 
United States ratifies the treaty, it will be possible for Bookshare to get 
more content for Americans from more sources outside of the United States 
and in more languages. It will also be possible for Bookshare to deliver our 
entire library-instead of only the titles we have permissions from 
publishers to share-to people with print disabilities living in other 
countries.

This is extremely exciting, but to be clear, things won't change right away. 
In fact, it could take up to a year, maybe much longer, for the United 
States to ratify the treaty. That's why Benetech will continue working with 
coalition partners, like the National Federation of the Blind and the 
American Council of the Blind, to determine the best path forward to 
ratification.

As we move forward, we will update you with any major news-whether it's big 
progress we've made or big roadblocks we've encountered. We may also need to 
call on the support and power of the Bookshare community again to help key 
decision makers see the impact Bookshare is having on your lives. In the 
meantime, you can always visit the Bookshare Blog for updates.

Again, thank you. Your support and action helped us to achieve a historic 
treaty that will change the lives of millions around the world.

Sincerely,

Jim Fruchterman & Betsy Beaumon

Note: This advocacy effort by Benetech, the nonprofit organization that 
operates Bookshare, has not been supported or endorsed by Bookshare funders, 
including the U.S. Department of Education.