A Treaty To Make Books More Accessible

Ninety percent of the world's blind and visually impaired people live in developing countries, where there is little access to published work in braille and other accessible formats. Since 2008, the World Intellectual Property Organization has been discussing a treaty that would require countries to allow copyrighted works to be converted into accessible formats without additional permission from the copyright holder. But publishers worry about the precedent such a treaty would set, concerns that led the U.S. and the European Union to block the latest round of negotiations.

Knowledge Ecology International Videos

Chris Friend of the World Blind Union discusses what he would ask from President Barack Obama. At the time of this interview, the White House had not agreed to a diplomatic conference on a treaty for copyright exceptions for persons who are blind or have other disabilities:

Alan Adler, vice president for legal and government affairs for the Association of American Publishers, on why the association is opposing a treaty:

Maryanne Diamond, president of World Blind Union, on the diplomatic treaty for blind and disabled users:

David Hammerstein of the TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue talks about the very tough negotiations on exceptions for persons with disabilities: