Marrakesh Treaty needs urgent action

The Blind Foundation says the need for the New Zealand Government to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty has now become urgent.

The treaty helps remove the copyright barriers that prevent books and other published material from being made available in accessible formats and shared between countries.

The treaty has been ratified by 25 countries, five more than the 20 required to bring it into force. This means the New Zealand Government needs to join the treaty, so we can start sharing accessible books and publications with other participating countries.

“It is imperative that the government ratifies the treaty, which will give Kiwis with a print disability access to so much more reading material,” says Neil Jarvis, Blind Foundation Executive Director Strategic Relations and Accessibility.

“Such a small amount of published material is currently available in accessible formats like braille, electronic text or audio, that it has created a book famine for the blindness community. We ask that the government makes joining the treaty a priority.”

The theme of this year’s United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held on December 3, is Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want and Mr Jarvis says the Marrakesh Treaty is a perfect fit.

“Eliminating the barriers that keep Kiwis with sight loss from accessible material is certainly a step towards the future we want. Our vision is for those in the blindness community to live a life without limits.”

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