[A2k] WBU launches global Right to Read Campaign

[Chris Friend]

Blind people read books too!
Announcing the launch of the WBU's Right to Read Global Campaign

Blind and partially sighted people enjoy reading books just as much as the
rest of us. However, only 5% of books are ever published in formats that
blind and partially sighted people can read, such as audio, braille and
large print.

Today, 23rd April 2008, saw the launch, in Amsterdam, of the World Blind
Union's International Right to Read Campaign, which will advocate globally
for accessible books.  The event was organised in close collaboration with
the Secretariat of the Amsterdam 2008 World Book Capital which celebrates
reading this year with the theme "open book".

Mrs Judith Belinfante, Chair of the Amsterdam 2008 WBC Foundation and Mr
Mauro Rossi, UNESCO's Chief Delegate to the Amsterdam WBC Launch, attended
the WBU Right to Read Press Conference and heard Dr William Rowland,
President of the World Blind Union, explain

"For far too long the book has been closed for blind people. The
International Right to Read Campaign aims to open it".

Bente Dahl Rathje, Chair of the IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section, added

"Libraries exist to serve ALL members of the public. However, we need more
books to be published in braille, audio and large print in order to fully
achieve our mission".

Anne Bergman, Director of the Federation of European Publishers, also spoke
at the event, and underlined the will of publishers to work with visually
impaired people to publish more books which blind people can read.

The International Right to Read Alliance is a partnership between the World
Blind Union and the Libraries for the Blind Section of the International
Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), and it will work with publishers,
booksellers, libraries and many others to create a world where blind people
can read the same book at the same time and for the same price as everyone
else.

WBU, working with its 160 National Member Organisations, will be
establishing National Right to Read Alliances, bringing together
stakeholders, including librarians, University Disabled Students Support
Teams, Ministries of Education Special Education Units and other Service
Providers, all of whom have an interest in promoting the need for
accessibility for visually impaired people.
The campaign will pursue four main objectives, namely:-

 	To work proactively  with   publishers to help  them publish many
more accessible books

To form National Right to Read Alliances to give visibility to the visually
impaired reading community

 	To lobby, in the 120 countries that currently do not have copyright
legislation on exceptions, governments to enact copyright exceptions for the
visually impaired people.  Such legislation would facilitate  the production
of accessible formats, such as audio, braille and large print without the
need to re-clear copyright

 	To field test, in the 60 countries that already have copyright
legislation for exceptions for visually impaired people, the cross border
export/import of accessible formats created under these exceptions to
validate the compatibility of exceptions of different legal jurisdictions.
Evidence gained from these field trials will be presented to both Publishers
and the World Intellectual Property Organisation's Standing Committee on
Copyright and Related Rights.

During the event WBU demonstrated the world's first fully accessible book
'Blindness and the Visionary' by Sir John Coles.  Published in 2006, this
biography of Sir John Wilson, founder of Sightsavers International
http://www.sightsavers.org
Is published by Giles de la Mare http://www.gilesdelamare.co.uk  and
provides, tucked into every copy, on a Daisy CD an audio copy of the book
and special formats for printing the book in braille and large print.   In
recognition of the world's first 'same day same cost book' the WBU has
welcomed Giles de la Mare as a 'Pioneer Publisher' and gratefully
appreciates its offer to support the International Right to Read Campaign.

Later in the evening, at the official launch party of Amsterdam 2008 World
Book Capital, William Rowland presented a copy of the book to both Her Royal
Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands", Patron of UNESCO Amsterdam
WBC 2008 and to Mr Job Cohen, the Mayor of Amsterdam, whose wife is visually
impaired.


For more details, contact:

Christopher Friend
Chair
WBU Copyright and Right to Read Working Group
cfriend@sightsavers.org
+44 1444 446663:
Mobile/SMS +44 7919 552 170