Almost 1 million Canadians live with blindness or partial sight. For these individuals, it can be especially difficult to find print material in a format that is both accessible and easy to use. New technologies can help to address this challenge. However, more can still be done to ensure that copyright laws do not create additional barriers for those with a print disability, and that users have access to the latest and best published material from around the world.
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled aims to bring the global community together to better address the universal challenge of ensuring timely access to and wider availability of printed material for those who are visually impaired.
The Treaty sets international standards on certain exceptions to copyright so that print materials can be adapted into formats—such as Braille and audio books—that visually impaired and print-disabled individuals can use. The Treaty also makes it possible to distribute accessible-format copies between countries. The negotiations for the Treaty were led by the World Intellectual Property Organization, a United Nations organization with 186 members. Eighty countries from around the world signed the Treaty, signalling their intent to join.
To implement the Treaty, the Government will be making targeted amendments to the Copyright Act to bring it in line with the international standard established in the Treaty.
Once the Treaty is in force, Canadians will have:
- greater access to books in accessible formats in a wider variety of languages;
- increased opportunities to import and export accessible versions of books; and
- greater access to adapted versions of published works from other countries, which helps reduce costs and duplication in terms of the production of accessible format versions.
There will be benefits to many different groups of Canadians with print disabilities:
- Students will have better access to print materials, helping them to continue with their studies and better engage in the Canadian workforce. Recent survey data shows that approximately 35 percent of visually impaired students discontinued their education because of their condition.
- Workers will have greater opportunities. Current data suggests that approximately one third of Canadians who are visually impaired are not in the labour force.
- Seniors—the group with the highest rates of visual impairment—will have better access to reading materials, which helps to maintain their quality of life.
- Canadians from minority language groups will have better access to books in a variety of languages.
- Schools, libraries and charitable organizations that work with print-disabled Canadians will benefit from reduced duplication in the production of accessible works.
