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What is in the Treaty of Marrakesh?

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

However, as the founder of the Bookshare online library, we have a great deal at stake in how the Treaty gets implemented. Plus, it will especially help countries with less-developed libraries and services for people with disabilities by making it easier to tap large collections (like Bookshare) in other countries. Article 2(c).

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Commercial Availability: The Poison Pill for Marrakesh Treaty Implementation

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

Libraries for people who are blind or dyslexic are the primary source of accessible books in audio, large print or braille. But, some companies want to empty the library shelves and insist that only books that can’t be purchased are allowed to be stocked in such libraries. Bookshare was created under the Section 121 U.S.

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Why Your Country Should Ratify the Marrakesh Treaty

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

As the nonprofit operator of Bookshare ,the world’s largest online library for people who are blind, visually impaired, dyslexic, or have a physical disability that prevents them from reading books, Benetech strongly recommends the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty. There is still much to do, however, before the treaty takes full effect.

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Towards Global Access for the Print Disabled

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

Counterproposals have been made, governments have been engaging with rights holders, consumers and NGOs (or not!) Government delegation, as a next step possibility. It is narrower than the Treaty, and is not binding as a treaty would be (some call it “soft law” compared to the “hard law” of a treaty). Excludes video. •

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Big Meeting on the Treaty this Week!

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

As the operators of Bookshare in the USA, which was made possible through a great exception in our copyright law here, we would love to make all of our books available to people with qualifying disabilities around the world. It’s why the great majority of accessibility work is done by volunteers, charities, and with government support.

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Donor Spotlight: Lavelle Fund for the Blind

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

Twelve years ago, the Fund made its first grant to Benetech, in support of the then newly launched Bookshare , our accessible online library for people with disabilities that get in the way of reading print, including visual impairments and dyslexia. government and states like Texas.

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Bringing Millions of Books to Billions of People: Making the Book Truly Accessible

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

With a press of a virtual button, an ebook can be printed, displayed in large print (on a page or on a display), made into braille (on a page or on an electronic braille display), or read aloud as audio. By this, I am not just talking about the publishing business, but also the nonprofit libraries committed to universal accessibility.