Enable accessible mode
Enable accessible mode

World Book and Copyright Day

"Literacy is the door to knowledge, essential to individual self-esteem and development. Books play an essential role here." - Irina Bokova

April 23rd is a symbolic date for world literature as it is World Book and Copyright Day. On this day special tribute is given world-wide to books and authors, encouraging everyone to discover the right and the pleasure of reading. 

Unfortunately, millions of people, including children and students, are being denied access to books and other printed materials. Less than 10% of published works are made into accessible formats in developed countries. Blind and partially sighted people, especially students, in wealthy areas of the world still face unequal barriers when accessing published works. In developing counties, the situation is even worse as less than 1% off books are made into accessible formats. Sadly, many students are therefore unable to receive a full education in large part due to the lack of accessible materials.

This global lack of accessible published materials is known as the "book famine."The World Blind Union (WBU) has worked alongside multiple stakeholders for years to overcome this and the efforts have resulted in the international treaty called the Marrakesh Treaty. This treaty will address the book famine in two important ways:
  • it will enable "authorized entities," such as blind organizations and libraries to more easily reproduce works into accessible formats such as Braille, for non-profit distribution. 
  • it will permit authorized entities to share accessible books and other printed materials across borders with other authorized entities. 
The current international system does not allow for cross-border sharing; leading to the needless duplication of books, which already uses up limited resources. However, once the Marrakesh Treaty comes into force, cross-border sharing will be legal in the countries in which have signed the treaty. This will enable countries with larger collections of accessible books to share them with blind and print disabled people in countries with fewer resources. 

Literacy, education, and full participation in society no longer need to be denied to the world's blind and print disabled, but the Marrakesh Treaty can only start helping end the book famine once it is ratified and implemented. The Treaty and its benefits will only apply to countries that have ratified it, and will only come into force once it has been ratified by at least 20 countries. 

The WBU calls for every government to stop denying their blind and print disabled citizens their right to ready by ratifying and then effectively implementing the Marrakesh Treaty; ensuring that its original spirit of human rights and equality for all is maintained throughout its implementation. 


*Source: World Blind Union press release.