In June, the Government announced it will join an international treaty – The Marrakesh Treaty – to improve access to written materials for blind and visually impaired New Zealanders.
The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled is an international framework that will enable the reproduction and distribution of books and other literary works in accessible formats.
According to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, The Marrakesh Treaty will drive the following benefits.
- More timely access to a greater variety of accessible format works for New Zealanders with a print disability. This will have a range of positive flow-on effects, improving access to education and employment, lifting overall wellbeing and allowing more opportunities for New Zealanders with a print disability to contribute to the economy.
- Better value for money from existing resources (including the Ministry of Education, schools, libraries and prescribed bodies) to provide accessible format works for print disabled New Zealanders. Organisations will be able to more easily exchange works across borders, reducing the need for costly local production of works that have been converted into accessible formats in other jurisdictions.
- Improved adherence to international obligations, including obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC).
Now there will need to be a Parliamentary treaty examination process followed by law changes to ensure the benefits of joining the Treaty can be realised by New Zealanders with a print disability.
The Marrakesh Treaty is one among other changes the Government is working on to allow more organisations and individuals to produce and provide accessible format works without breaching copyright laws.
Further information can be found here…