Podcasts about Marrakesh Treaty

Join hosts Dr. Shawn Maloney and Dr. Bruno Fernandes on the BroadEYE Podcast as they sit down with Marc Workman, CEO of the World Blind Union. In this engaging episode, Marc shares insights into the WBU's mission to advocate for blind and partially sighted individuals globally, from influencing UN policies to empowering local organizations. Dive into discussions on accessibility, the transformative potential of AI, and the impact of the Marrakesh Treaty. Marc also opens up about his personal journey with retinitis pigmentosa and the challenges of global travel as a blind advocate. A must-listen for anyone interested in disability advocacy and inclusive technology!

Welcome to Episode 143 of the Think UDL podcast: Accessible HOUSE with Trevor Boland. Trevor Boland is an Assistive Technology Officer at the DLSS (Disability and Learning Support Service) at Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland. I had the good fortune to meet Trevor at the AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Accessibility and Disability) conference in Dublin recently and wanted to bring his great ideas about how we all can make our classes and workplaces more accessible, and how it isn't just the instructor's job to do so either. In today's episode, we talk about a very entry level acronym for accessibility called HOUSE that you can share with your students as well as the Marrakesh Treaty, lots of accessibility resources, and what to do to start this process in your area. If you want to learn more you can find Trevor's contact information along with the resources mentioned in today's episode on the ThinkUDL.org website under resources just before the transcript for this episode. 

Shirt by Bruno Henrique Denny Daughters interviews people from The Braille And Talking Book Library in Sacramento, Director Mike Marlin and Technology Specialist Morgan Pershing. The Braille And Talking Book Library is part of a larger national network of libraries called The National Library Service For The Blind And Print Disabled. NLS for short. Learn how can you sign up for services, how these libraries are different from commercial audio book companies, some of the devices you can borrow, the Marrakesh Treaty, and more. Braille and Talking Book Library in Sacramento: btbl.ca.gov To reach Mike Marlin and/or Morgan Pershing call: (800) 952-5666, (916) 654-0640 Mike's email is: mike.marlin@library.ca.gov; Morgan's email is: morgan.pershing@library.ca.gov The National Library Service website is: l Washington Talking Book and Braille Library oc.gov/nls The bard website to download books is nlsbard.loc.gov This program was edited, hosted and produced by Denny Daughters.   Photo Credits: T-shirt Design by Bruno Henrique on Printerval , photo by Joe Wolf, license CC BY-ND 2.0 Deed The post “Braille & Talking Books” – Pushing Limits – March 15, 2024 appeared first on KPFA.

In this month's episode, we hear from Daniella Levy-Pinto, Manager at the National Network for Equitable Library Service, and Sarah Smith-Eivemark, Associate Director of Retail Marketing and Partnerships at Penguin Random House Canada about the latest collaboration project between their organizations and its impact on accessibility. Further reading - 5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9780525612902 - Billy and the Giant Adventure by Jamie Oliver; illustrated by Mónica Armiño: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9781774884140 Lean more about: - National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS): https://nnels.ca/ - World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): https://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html - Accessible Books Consortium (ABC): https://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/ - Braille Institute: https://brailleinstitute.org/ - Marrakesh Treaty: https://www.wipo.int/marrakesh_treaty/en/

Online publication Spotlight editor Marcus Low expressed disappointment with government for its failure to ratify the World Intellectual Property Organization-administered Marrakesh Treaty to accelerate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled. The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted in 2013 by the World Intellectual Property Organization to address the widespread problem known as "book famine", the situation where few books are published in formats that are accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired. "The shocking thing is that the Treaty was concluded 13 years ago and today, 10 years later, it is not fixed in South Africa. Every year when government says all the nice things on disability month - November - to me it rings hollow," Low said. Speaking during the SECTION27, Blind SA and Daily Maverick webinar on 'Court-Ordered Copyright Act Changes for the Blind and Visually Impaired', Low said that over 80 countries including the US, the UK, India and Brazil had ratified the Treaty, as well as fellow African countries such as Nigeria. Blind SA (represented by SECTION27) challenged the constitutionality of South Africa's Copyright Act for the way it discriminated against persons who were blind or visually impaired. In particular, the Act required that anyone wanting to convert a book into an accessible format, like Braille or large print, needed to obtain the permission of the copyright holder. Recognising the heavy burden this placed on persons who are blind or visually impaired, the Court declared the Copyright Act unconstitutional in 2022. Now, persons who are blind or visually impaired no longer need to obtain permission from the copyright holder, while Parliament finalises changes to the rest of the Act. The court has also given Parliament 24 months to cure the unconstitutional defects in the Copyright Act. Low highlighted that there were two traditional problems with how the law worked regarding blind people. "One is where as a blind person or someone helping a blind person, you are not allowed to make an accessible format copy. So the Marrakesh Treaty says that if you are a member country you have to allow that. The treaty says that you should be allowed to share books across borders," he said. University of the Witwatersrand School of Law's Mandela Institute senior researcher, Dr Sanya Samtani, explained that people with disabilities had been excluded domestically in South Africa and internationally from full and equal participation in society. She said the Marrakesh Treaty put in law mandatory exceptions for people with visual and print disabilities. Meanwhile, Low said that the benefits of the judgment on the court-ordered Copyright Act changes for the blind and visually impaired were not well understood as yet, highlighting that it took time to make accessible copies and could sometimes be quite expensive. "If you can see you can go to the book store, buy the book you want to read, if you can afford it, otherwise you can go to a library and whatever books are in the library, you can read. There is no obstacle there. So if you cannot see to read those books then it becomes more complicated, so we can turn those books into other formats, such as Braille," he explained.

Jason Broughton and Dominick Spinelli are “living a librarian's dream” at the Library of Congress' National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Broughton is the director of the NLS after a long career in librarianship, education and workforce development. Spinelli serves as the head of the NLS' Collection Development Section, where he leads a team of librarians to build a catalog of accessible reading materials and support a nationwide network of nearly 100 partnering libraries and outreach centers. Broughton and Spinelli discuss how they leverage feedback from library patrons to help ensure that individuals across the nation, including people with disabilities and veterans, can obtain accessible print and reading materials that meet their needs. Additional Resources: Learn more about the Marrakesh Treaty.  NLS resources for Veterans.  Learn more about ⁠Learning Ally's Audiobook Solution⁠ program.    A complete transcript of this episode can be found here.

BlindSA and Section27 will today march to various government departments in Pretoria to raise awareness about the Marrakesh Treaty, to ensure equal access to information for the blind. Blind and visually impaired people have access to less than 0.5% of published works available in braille format. This despite last year's Constitutional Court ruling which found the Copyright Act unconstitutional, for limiting access to reading materials in accessible formats for persons who are blind or visually impaired. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Christo de Klerk, the Vice President of Blind SA

For more information about the Standing Committee on Copyrights and Related Rights, see this SCCR website Sara:     Welcome to another episode of copyright chat. Today I have Winston Tabb joining me from Johns Hopkins University he's the University Librarian and a longtime expert adviser to the copyright and other legal matters committee to the IFLA organization. Welcome. Winston: Thank you. Sara: It's so nice to see you and to see you on the verge I understand of your retirement? Winston: Yes. I think it's going to happen sometime. I just don't know exactly when because I had agreed to stay until my successor was in place. So the process is moving along. I heard a rumor the day will come soon. Sara:     Well, congratulations! And I know throughout your career you've had a lot of interest and expertise with international copyright issues, both with the copyright and other legal matters committee and with the World Intellectual Property Organization. And I wanted to take this opportunity to kind of pick your brain about that process of how we the United States and IFLA engage with the World Intellectual Property Organization. From what I've heard, it seems to move pretty slowly and it's a very political process. But, correct me if I'm wrong. Winston: Well, I think one of the first things to understand is what an unusual organization the World Intellectual Property Organization is. Within a particular subgroup, the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, which is the one with which we engage, I don't remember how many branches there are at WIPO, but that's the most important one for us. What I couldn't believe when I went to my first meeting and it still amazes me is that you can have an organization with, I think, 185 of so member-states and WIPO functions entirely by consensus. That is, there is never a vote taken in the sense that you would have your normal body where 51% of the people would be able to prevail if they can do that. So any one country, whether it's Russia or Ukraine, the largest or smallest country, can really bring things to a halt. And that's why it is so frustrating sometimes because the progress is so glacial. On the other hand, when you do have a victory in an environment like this, it's really a major one. So the most important thing that has happened, I believe that the 20 or so years that I've been engaged there is the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty and it almost didn't happen and took quite a long time several false starts and starting over. But part of the reason that happens in actual fact is because of the necessity for having consensus. Sara: Yeah, that's a really good point. I mean, I think most people in the world, or I guess maybe not most, but many are aware of that treaty. And it seemed like a pretty smooth process from the outside. But can you give us an insider's view a little bit of how long this was pending and what happened with the treaty? Winston: Well, as I said, there were several false starts. So, I went to WIPO for the first time in 2003, which is the time when I was appointed to be the chair of IFLA's copyright committee. Of course, I was just amazed at how things worked and how they didn't. My very first meeting that I went to was of the cultural administration group. I think you're gonna be working with them, if I understand right. So, we're working on some kind of instrument that would deal with cultures and I was so fascinated to see, but sitting at the table were people from various minority groups. The Sami from the North and the Maori from New Zealand were actually part of the official groups. And it was a very substantive discussion. So I was expecting it to be like that when I went to other meetings such as to the meetings of the standing committee on copyright, but it was definitely not the case. The Standing Committee on Copyright it members of federal agencies only. The United States usually has people there led always by the Patent and Trademark Office because they are the executive branch, but also generally at least one person from the US Copyright Office. But I was really kind of amazed when we first started working on what came to be the Marrakesh Treaty to find that there had been a lot of efforts in the early 1990s to have such a treaty and they finally just completely collapsed. So, this was like a second start. And you never know exactly why something works the second time around. I don't think it was just because we all had t-shirts which we probably wore saying “stop the book famine.” But I think that really helped as a way of kind of characterizing what it would feel like to be blind, able to have access to books it was a book famine. That word famine really just captured people's attention. Nevertheless, it did take at least six or seven years. I can't even remember quite how long it went. At first everyone was kinda just nice about it. And then there's the publishing industry that began to realize this might actually happen. They began to be very, very oppositional—really oppose almost every aspect and were able quite often to get other national entities to agree with them. Probably the most negative force against this treaty and the one that I believe was most susceptible to the publishers was the European Union. So this is another thing that is very unusual about the SCCR, which is that when we're in session, it is possible for someone from Luxembourg to speak or from France in their national capacity. But really the authority speaking comes from the European Union representatives. Of course, in a way it represented  the bureaucrats who speak for that entire group. And the EU was just not willing to have any part of this until this moment that I will never forget in Marrakesh. We finally met and the negotiations were going on. But the EU was not moving. And I saw the then Director General do something that I never saw before or after which was essentially to call out the EU in the public session and basically say you are continuing the book famine. If we can't make some progress here after we've gathered, and made so much progress and get to the finish line, it's going to be on you. And you can just feel the moment when the publishers and their representatives to the EU understood that they were getting ready to come under a very black cloud, so to speak. So it was really one of those wonderful turning moments right in the middle of that week. And then things fairly quickly came to a close, but it was at least a 20 maybe even a 25-year process. So I try to think about what I think our first Copyright Treaty for libraries was only introduced in 2005 or 2006 I think we first began to shop it around. So if you're taking a long view and compare it to what happened with the blind, where we're doing okay. We have to take solace. Sara:  So it's interesting because you are pointing out that the only folks that really have a voice at these treaty discussions are official representatives. So how are the publishers then getting their voices heard? Is this through independent meetings? Do they come to the meeting as an observer? How are they involved? Winston: Yes. Well, they're involved in exactly the same way we are. So one thing I will say about the standing committee on copyright or related rights is very open to NGOs that wanted to come. Usually the very first agenda item after adoption of the agenda is the addition of new members. And so we've never had a problem about that. So we're often actually seat them side-by-side with the publishers that are all as usual people from the licensing agencies. I'm sorry. It's been so long since I was actually there. But we're all sitting there together, representatives from all the NGOs with our label in front of us. Almost always, member states are invited to speak first, and then if there's time, then we will be invited to speak. And I will say, I think we've been treated very fairly. When I put my light on saying I want to speak, I'm almost always the first or one of the very first people who is invited to make what we call an intervention. Sara:  Okay, so. they're there talking with the EU. They're also participating in the group discussions. That makes perfect sense. So, after Marrakesh, where do you see the SCCR headed? What is the next kind of issue that's on the horizon? Winston: Well, the very biggest issue that's on the horizon and the longest there is a broadcasting treaty. So there are basically right now two major issues before the SCCR. There are a few others that are kinda crept in, like the Russians wanting to have theater stage directors rights. But the two topics that are given, roughly four out of the five days, more or less evenly divided are the treaty on broadcasting and then the treaty for libraries, archives, and museums. That one has been under discussion. It was under discussion the first time I went, and it is still under discussion. Glacial progress is made. Then one of the things I need to be clear about another oddity or feature of the SCCR is that regime change really matters. So you can be moving along very nicely and suddenly a country's regime changes. This happened to us very explicitly with Brazil. We had two very, very strong supporters from the Brazilian copyright office working with us very closely who were advocating for us, and would often introduce articles or motions that were in our favor. And one day we were there and they had this panic came across their faces. We found out the regime had changed. They had been summoned home. And the next people who came from Brazil had no interest in library. So that's a whole other reason that it takes so long to get things done because you develop relations and then those people vanish. Another problem is that people who are there usually, not for the United States, for example, who really do come from our federal agencies, but most of the people representing countries there are the ambassador of that country to the United Nations in Geneva. And so they don't have any copyright expertise. There may be meetings that are going on across town, one of the other United Nations agencies, so they may have to divide their time. And of course, as is true with diplomats, they usually have a two or three-year posting. So it's been a constant reeducating for the people who are actually representing the countries and have the vote. So that's another factor that complicates what actually makes speed and possible. We're in the constant educational mode, which is enjoyable from one of view, because you are training people. But it's really sad when you see someone who's really been a strong, fervent supporter from one of the country's depart. And you know, you may not get a good replacement. And you have to start all over again. Sara: It's curious to me that the strong supporter doesn't then talk to their replacement. Because it seems to me that the education could be within the organization instead of from the other participants. Does that ever happen or is that pretty rare? Winston: It does happen and I  could name examples. I won't necessarily here, but there are countries where that has definitely happened. But again, these people are diplomats who aren't necessarily in copyright. They may have much more concerned about human rights, which is across the street, or international trade, which is down the road. So they don't necessarily think that this is even an important topic as compared to others that they would really highlight as putting up the top of the list for their successor. Sara: Well, that makes sense, but it's also seems like it's unfortunate for those folks who are invested. And when you're talking about libraries and archives, are you talking about the ongoing discussions about how we have, for instance, in the United States, exceptions for libraries and archives for preservation is that they issue because I understand Kenny Crews wrote a report years ago for WIPO, kind of outlining the world and how different countries have different laws on this topic. Winston: Yeah. Well, I would say there are three major things that have been wonderful for libraries during the time that I have been working at SCCR. The first one I already talked about was Marrakech. From beginning we're able to see the end of that. The second was that we were invited by the WIPO secretariat in 2003 or 2004, fairly early on in the time that I became engaged, we told them one of the things that was really, really difficult for all of us to know, actually, what were the conditions at all the member states. And WIPO is quite eager and willing to fund nonpartisan kind of activities. And so they asked us to suggest three or four people who might be able to undertake such a study. We put Kenny at the top of our list. I think at the time he was still a Columbia as the copyright librarian. He was engaged to undertake this work, but he did, and it was published. And he was invited to come and do a presentation for, I think a half-day and take questions from the member states about it. So it was the very first time I think there was ever one central place where you could go to see, well how many countries actually have an interlibrary loan provision. About a decade later, WIPO asked Kenny, if he would update that study, which he did. And it's on the SCCR website and has become very, very useful for all of us and providing data that we can actually use, both in our oral presentations that we make, but also in our meetings with the various regional groups. So if I could take another kind of a side note, one of the things I didn't mention, that's also an interesting factor of how we work as a group. Each region has a group, there's an African group, there's a Latin American, Caribbean group, and so on. There is also what's called group B. Which is really the European Union, Canada, the United States. So it's going to be the more developed countries or in a group. And then there's a small subset of the countries of the former Soviet Union and China as its own group, but indicates what we often do both before we get to Geneva, but also while we are there is to arrange meetings with these groups. So quite often at seven o'clock, on a Wednesday morning, we're going in and sitting down with all the representatives from the African countries and talking with them about not only what we want in general, but about what the situation is in those countries. And we've tried with some success to always have a librarian from one of those countries with us because people really prefer to hear someone from Algeria talking about what Africa needs more than they do about someone for the United States. So that's been a wonderful way of making inroads. But again, all of those groups have a one-year term for the chair. So you may have a year when you've got someone from Algeria who loves libraries. The next year? You may get someone from Togo, has no interest at all and doesn't even want to have the library group come and talk to them necessarily. So that's another thing that this constantly changing in interactions with people, because the people changed and then the roles change as well. But anyway, the whole study that was done by Kenny. I think that was one of the most useful things the SCCR has done, and that was our recommendation, but at their expense with something that is still very, very proud of. Sara: You mentioned also there's turnover of the Secretary General. And you also mentioned how instrumental the secretary at was in getting the Marrakesh Treaty past. Does it depend a lot on who that person is? Winston: Yes, it definitely does. And I think what happened with the Marrakesh treaty is that there's a 10-year term of the Director-General and that person's term was coming toward the end. And it's very unusual for that person to be reappointed. So he knew he's going home to Australia. And I think that really made it maybe easier from a practical sense to really press as he did. The good news for us is that we had as the most, the former chair of the standing committee on copyright, the copyright office of Singapore works. And when it came time to choose a new Director General, he was chosen out of several different applicants. So we now have at the top level, within the World Intellectual Property Organization, someone who is himself a copyright specialist, has direct experience of having lead the SCCR for a five-year term. He has continued to be very, very supportive of us. Sara: And what year is he now and his tenure term? Winston: I think it may be so hard to remember anything during COVID. I think it's the fourth year or maybe the fifth, something, something like that, but maybe four years. I think. He also has been very instrumental in helping us get one thing done. The last big thing that I'm really particularly proud of because it is tangible, and that is the preparation is something called the preservation toolkit. So during COVID when meetings weren't being held but there was still hoping there can be some progress. I did reach out to the director general as well as to the Assistant Secretary General who's working in the copyright arena to see if there wasn't something we can do in the preservation. Because that seemed to be something that everyone understood was a problem. But not every country you really has the authority to do copying even for preservation purposes. So what eventually happened was that they said, well, why don't we prepare a toolkit? And that term is extremely important because within the odd way in which WIPO works, a toolkit, didn't require the approval of all the member states. It didn't have to be discussed with the member states, doesn't have to be adopted by the member states. It's a tool that countries may use or not use. So that's why it was able to proceed. Something's better than nothing. I think in this environment. And I'm especially happy we did it because of some of the things that have happened in the course of the preparation of it. Things like the war, Ukraine, things like floods, things like fires, and the National Library of South Africa and the museum and Rio has really made it very clear that if you don't do some preemptive preservation, it's too late and it needs to be cross-border If it's truly gonna be preservation. So the secretary did commission representatives from each of our sectors, libraries, archives, and museum, to prepare this toolkit that has been prepared. And it is going to be presented on-site reading in Geneva at the very end of this month. I'm so sad I'm not able to go to this effect because it exactly coincides with my retirement dinner. So I really didn't have much of a choice about it, but by the end of September, this will have been released, introduced and then we, as librarians at our friends at the archives and museum world, can begin promoting it and using it. We hope that will at least be able to get preservation provisions in national law as well as kind of moving us, we hope toward international instrument at some point that really deals with the cross-border issues. Sara: That sounds like really important work, especially given as you mentioned, all the disasters we've been having. And we're going to have more with natural disasters and fires. And I mean, you name it right. Hurricanes. I think climate change is really threatening our collections and our collective memory institutions. Winston: We keep making the point that after the things are gone, they kept the preserved. It seems so obvious, but this need that you don't have to even prove at this point that something is deteriorating. You just need to be able to get copies of it somewhere that are safe. And that requires that it be at a different location. Maybe ideally multiple locations, even if it's just about to find out at some point, how many is enough? One thing I didn't really mention at the beginning, I should have, because it's a really important part of our collaboration. When we first began, it was libraries. And we actually drafted something we called TLAB the Treaty for Libraries Archives and Museums. And I was really happy working with archives and museums over time that we were able to get them engaged with us as well. So we now have a draft treaty called TLAB treaty for libraries, archives, and museums. And the three entities work very, very closely as we saw with the development of the presentation toolkit. But there was one representatives from each of the sectors that were very much involved in preparation of that. So that's a great step forward as well. I think that thinking about how libraries, archives, and museums are much more alike than they are different and we worked together, not separately or against one another. Sara: Yeah. And I think your point about the many copies is really important because it's not only that you've made the copy which is important, that's a first step. But then if that copy is held on-site and the site is destroyed, you still don't have the copy. So, the cross-border issue really seems central. And I hope that we're able to make some progress on that, too. Winston: I think that it's a fairly, fairly easy within SCCR contexts, it's kinda crazy to say, but I can imagine getting instrument that provides for the preservation. I think the hardest part is going to be about the access part. One of the things we keep saying there needs to be able to be access. You can't just have something that was copied in Algeria and it's being housed in the library in Paris, but can never be open. So, at some point, there has to be reasonable trigger event that would enable the preserve work to actually used. And there are people who still are arguing, yes, but when that happens, there needs to be a fee. And that's it, kinda battle that we'll have to find with the people who want to monetize everything, but at least it's a step in the right direction. And even if we could get, each country has its own preservation provision, that would be a step forward in the right direction too. I think we forget in the United States how it was lucky we really are never entirely satisfied or will we ever be? But when I think about provisions that we have an compared to a lot of our counterparts, including the European Union, we actually are much better off with mitigate them. I think that's true and I think it's part of the reason that this work at, at the international level is so important is to really show that these provisions are important and that these provisions help libraries, archives, museums, and our patrons right to gain access to materials. I think that's something that the United States can really lead on. Well, we keep just saying our information is borderless. I mean, this whole idea that goes back to an era when a book was one place and then it might be the next. Just like that now and I think again with the passage of time and seeing how the Internet has developed and so on. People knowing their hearts, if that really is true, they may not want to get that embedded in a way that is really useful at the national or international level. But there's no denying that we have to be thinking about things not at national level, international level, because of the way in which information is created and shared and stored today. Sara: Very true. Well, this has been a really fascinating conversation. I've learned a lot and I hope the listeners appreciate it too. And congratulations on your well-earned retirement. It sounds like you are going to continue to do wonderful things. I look forward to many, many more years of your engagement with international copyright. Winston: Thank you so much. I've really enjoyed it, bye.

The Marrakesh Treaty, or more informally referred to as Book Share, is an international agreement that gives visually impaired people access to a world of accessible books - quite literally! Countries that have signed up to the Marrakesh Treaty are able to share their online libraries with other countries involved. But listener Jackie Brown raised the point that the UK's system sometimes doesn't work as efficiently as other countries' services do and that the RNIB's Book Share service should stretch further. We invited Jackie Brown onto the program to put this point to the RNIB's head of consumer and business services, Alison Long. We also invited Kevin Mulhern and Lina Kouzie to give us a wider, more international perspective. The 2022 Winter Paralympic Games are underway in Beijing and Team GB's visually impaired athletes have already secured some fantastic wins, including gold, silver and bronze medals. Alpine skier Menna Fitzpatrick will bring home some of these medals. We spoke to Menna and her guide Gary Smith about her wins so far, how the business of guiding actually works and her upcoming races. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Liz Poole Website image description: pictured is Peter White inside one of the BBC's recording studios, interviewing Menna Fitzpatrick and Gary Smith. The two are on a computer monitor in front of Peter. They are wearing their blue Paralympic uniforms and white medical masks. Behind them is a white wall that is decorated with the British Paralympic Association's logo (a red lion).

Jonathan Mosen MNZM is CEO of Workbridge, an organisation that "gives employers access to skilled and capable workers, and gives people with disabilities a fair go in the workforce."  He joins us as the October guest in our free Accessibility Insights webinar series, now on its 16th episode. This podcast is  Jonathan speaks with Robin Christopherson MBE, AbilityNet's Head of Digital Inclusion, who hosts a monthly online chat with individuals who are each working to improve digital accessibility and digital inclusion.  Workbridge is New Zealand's largest disability employment agency, and Jonathan is a veteran disability rights campaigner. A Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) and winner of the Impact Award for his contribution to the disability community, Jonathan's advocacy has led to significant legislative change in New Zealand, including the passage of New Zealand's world-leading copyright legislation which ultimately led to the Marrakesh Treaty. Additionally, Jonathan has held senior leadership positions at global assistive technology companies HumanWare, Freedom Scientific and AIRA. Jonathan also has lived experience of disability, being totally blind and hard of hearing. He hosts the 

weekly Mosen At Large podcast, which brings a global community together for a live radio show and podcast discussing tech, living with blindness and more. On this webinar recording, Jonathan and Robin discussed topics including: Disabled people in education and the workplace Changes to disability rights and cutting edge technology The role assistive technology plays in the world today Leadership, values and the needs of a diverse workforce You can download a transcript of this session from the AbilityNet website and view the video recording of the webinar on the AbilityNet website, where you will also find additional Q&As. Get in touch via enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk with feedback, questions and comments.

Ryan, Steve and Rob go international this week as they welcome Michelle Woods, Director of Copyright Law Division at the World Intellectual Property Organization into the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to help break down the Marrakesh Treaty and what it means for the production and distribution of accessible books worldwide.   Show Notes World Intellectual Property Organizationhttps://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html Accessible Books Consortiumhttps://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/portal/en/index.html AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

Get Together with Technology (GTT) Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) Show Notes: May 13, 2020 Theme: CELA Library Update Presenters: Rina Hadziev, Executive Director, assisted by her library service team. Rina.hadziev@celalibrary.ca In this regular monthly CCB-GTT National Zoom session guest, Rina Hadziev, provides a brief overview of her background and interests. Rina then gives a talk on the status of the CELA web site and services as of May 13, 2020. Rina explains that the CELA platform will continue to be updated with missing features from the old system such as personal search preferences. She also mentions exciting new functionality that will come soon resulting from the Marrakesh Treaty such as integration of NLS books from the United States into the CELA collection. Also, Rina informed us of another CELA project that will provide the ability to search and obtain books from within Voice Dream, Dolphin EasyReader, and Humanware devices eliminating the need to search for books using a computer or smartphone browser. The podcast comprises a 24 minute presentation by Rina followed by 42 minutes of Q&A. For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators: Albert Ruel                   or                        Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513 albert.GTT@CCBNational.net                GTTProgram@Gmail.com CCB Backgrounder: The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.   CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities. The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.  The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians. As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".  GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.  GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.  CCB National Office 100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6 Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net  

Attorney Scott LaBarre presented on the Marrakesh Treaty and how this international treaty allows for copyright exceptions to reproduce braille materials from print.

We are back with the latest episode of the EBU Access Cast and as it happens the last one for the year 2019 and the teens of this century. As Christmas is drawing closer, we began this episode with some tech gadget Christmas gifts discussion. Mario bought a Fossil 5 Gen Wear OS smartwatch and shared his experience of setting it up for the first time. His brief demo of this device's possibilities can be found in the demo Time section of this show.   We kicked off the news section by mentioning the winner of this year's Accessible City Award of the European Commission the Polish capital Warsaw. This was an opportunity for Paweł to tell a little bit about various initiatives, projects and good practices applied in the city to make it friendly for its visually impaired inhabitants. Among the projects discussed there was the Invisible Exhibition which explains life with blindness to sighted visitors, the social campaign "Path of Accessibility: Share Your Space" which raises awareness of issues connecting to navigating the public space of Warsaw by persons with visual impairments and the in-door and outdoor beacon-based orientation system Totupoint. You can learn more about the Accessible City Award by watching a described Video created by the European Commission in cooperation with the EBU represented by Tanja. WE returned to Seeing AI with its important update for many users across Europe as support for new languages is introduced. We then mentioned some good news for all of our musician listeners as the Musescore music notation software adds new accessibility features and SM music Reader, the first Android and in general mobile app for accessible reviewing and drawing of music notes appears on the market. Coming back to Poland for a while, Paweł shared an example of a good accessibility practice introduced by one of the local operators of self-service package pick-up stations. This was not the only accessibility innovation in terms of self-service devices that we discussed as we also delved into what manufacturers of touchscreen-based payment terminals do to allow operation by blind customers. Valina and Pax A920 will be one of the first solutions to tackle this challenge. New year is the time of resolutions and decisions to do something different. WE bring you some inspiration with BeMyEyes's hand-picked list of accessible museum and art experiences, most of them located in Europe. If you prefer consuming different forms of art from the comfort of your house, we also took a look at See, one of Apple's exclusive TV shows available for their brand-new streaming platform Apple TV Plus. The show takes place in a world inhabited by a population where almost everyone is blind. We invite you to hear and read how it is like directing an action-packed show with blind actors in cast and consulted in close cooperation with blindness organizations. Before concluding the show we also talked about one of EBU's current campaigns focused on the Marrakesh Treaty, European Accessibility Act and the accessibility in the book publishing industry. We will hear more on the matter from Antoine Fobe from the EBU who will be interviewed by Tanja. Remember that you can send us your comments and suggestions through our email and Twitter. WE will be happy to hear them. Last but not least, we at the EBU Access Cast would like to wish all of our listeners  a merry Christmas and all the best  for the year 2020. May all of your plans and goals come to fruition and new ones come to mind.

Many things have changed since our first show Five years ago. This week is proof of that as Joe has a new profession He has embarked on; Patrick has a new ongoing feature for the BBQ and J.J. has some amazing news about a new Braille Display coming to A.T. Guys. Travel, animals and an acknowledgement of what came before rounds out this 200th, of the numbered shows, installment of the Blind Bargains Qast. In The News: Fusion 2020 Is Live And Will Soon Have A December 2019 Update Apple Releases iOS 13.2.3 and iPadOS 13.2.3 with Mail, Messages, and Search Fixes and Background App Performance Improvements It s here! Get iOS Access for All (iOS 13 Edition) in ePub format. It s fully updated for iOS 13, with coverage of dark mode, voice control, enhancements to VoiceOver, and lost more. Get it now and tell your friends! Orbit research introduces a chat app for the deaf-blind Aira, Microsoft, and Moovit make public transport more accessible for the visually impaired The Continued Significance of the National Library Service for the Blind: Expanding Braille and Implementing the Marrakesh Treaty Audio Wizards Update Brings 5 New Levels To Android And iOS For Free Access World For November Brings The Annual Holiday Gift Guide And More Interview: Ed Rodgers and Liam Smith of Bristol Braille A milestone like our 200th BBQ needed something just as huge at the center of the proceedings. Ed Rodgers and Liam Smith, of Bristol Braille, thought the same. The pair sat down with J.J. to discuss how the Canute is moving from the pre-order phase to an imminent full-fledged product launch. Hear some stories about the construction, the support and the open source nature of the project. And, if that wasn't enough, visit our A.T. Guys product page for the Canute 360 Braille Multiline E-reader to order yours as they become available Stateside. Be sure to visit the Bristol Braille site for more information about the launch windows outside the U.S.. Tip: Make Math Easier With Calcute J.J. knows that Joe's Kryptonite is math. But things may change as Calcute allows you to easily perform math in an "adding tape" notepad style. This program lets you review your work, rearrange your functions and edit problems on the fly. It might not help Joe; however, it might just be the right thing for helping you out with your calculations. Sound Off: This email, entitled "Two hundredth episode of the BBQ podcast.", was sent in the night before we recorded this show. "Hi Joe, and JJ, My name is Jeremy Levy and I have been a fan of your podcast since 100. I was also a fan of the Sero Talk podcast. I really enjoy the coverage you do for the different blind conferences. I also really enjoy the different episodes that you talk about. I would love to start my own podcast with in this next year. Thank you very much for showing me that blind people can do podcasts. Congratulations on your 200th episode. Sincerely, Your loyal fan, and loyal listener, Jeremy Levy" Thanks for writing in Jeremy. Here is a bit of behind the scenes trivia. We recorded this episode on the five year anniversary of the news That broke about our previous podcasts. We are extremely proud of all our previous work and we appreciate those who have stayed with us all these years. Joe, J.J. and Patrick have been working together a long time over hundreds of hours of audio. And we could not have done it without our friends, sponsors and most of all our fantastic fans along the way. Last Word: It seemes only fitting that cats and travel found their way into this week's oddness from the web. Trapped Under The Megabus A black cat got loose on the field for Giants-Cowboys, and Twitter lost its mind Episode 201 will feature our big Black Friday extravaganza! Tune in to hear more about deals and products that may just make your gift giving a little bit easier this holiday season.

Braille Monitor - November 2019 Vol. 62, No. 10, November 2019 Illustration: Show-Me Meet the Blind Month  United States Supreme Court Denies Petition from Domino's Pizza by Chris Danielsen Expanding Opportunities, Protecting Rights, and Ensuring Accessibility: A Report from the Advocacy and Policy Department by John Pare and Gabe Cazares Eleven Years of BELL Academies: Gaining Skills, Enhancing Opportunities, and Building Relationships by Karen Anderson Mujeres of the Federation by Mary Fernandez Leave a Legacy  Leadership, Partnership, and the Pursuit of Financial Accessibility by Doug Marshall Exploring the Layers: A Blind Researcher, Mom, and Federationist Enhancing the Understanding of Disability by Angela Frederick Philosophy in Practice by Angela Howard A Dream Come True by Leslie Hamric The Status of the Orbit Reader by Curtis Chong Keeping the Blind in Sheltered Workshops in the Afterlife by Justin Salisbury Meet the Sighted Month  A Contest to Promote Literacy that is so Fun it Won't Seem Like Work by Sandy Halverson The Continued Significance of the National Library Service for the Blind: Expanding Braille and Implementing the Marrakesh Treaty by Karen Keninger Electronic Braille Reimagined: The Revolution of the Canute 360 by Ed Rogers Message from Buna Dahal Regarding 2020 Washington Seminar Reservations  Accelerating Accessible Content: Progress through the DAISY Consortium by Richard Orme The Future of Recipes  Monitor Miniatures

As Glen Gordon continues to explore Jonathan Mosen's life, we begin by talking about why it was necessary for Jonathan to quit full-time radio in the interests of starting a family. But their attempts to start a family began tragically. Jonathan talks candidly about his then lack of domestic skills and what that did for balance in his relationship. He says being a dad is the single most important thing he's done in his life. We hear some memories from his children; Heidi, Richard, David and Nicola. In 1994, Jonathan trains with his first and only guide dog to date. We learn how Jonathan's view of blindness and its impact expanded thanks to his role as a service advisor for the Foundation for the Blind. We begin exploring Jonathan's role as the Foundation for the Blind's Manager, Government Relations. Jonathan talks about how it was not expected he would be appointed to the role, and the happenstance that helped him land the job. Jonathan's first campaign was to advocate successfully for a Copyright Act that was to enshrine a principle in New Zealand law that would ultimately be adopted in other countries and form the basis of the Marrakesh Treaty. He led a successful campaign to change the Juries Act in New Zealand, amid considerable controversy.

As Glen Gordon continues to explore Jonathan Mosen's life, we begin by talking about why it was necessary for Jonathan to quit full-time radio in the interests of starting a family. But their attempts to start a family began tragically.Jonathan talks candidly about his then lack of domestic skills and what that did for balance in his relationship.He says being a dad is the single most important thing he's done in his life. We hear some memories from his children; Heidi, Richard, David and Nicola.In 1994, Jonathan trains with his first and only guide dog to date.We learn how Jonathan's view of blindness and its impact expanded thanks to his role as a service advisor for the Foundation for the Blind.We begin exploring Jonathan's role as the Foundation for the Blind's Manager, Government Relations. Jonathan talks about how it was not expected he would be appointed to the role, and the happenstance that helped him land the job.Jonathan's first campaign was to advocate successfully for a Copyright Act that was to enshrine a principle in New Zealand law that would ultimately be adopted in other countries and form the basis of the Marrakesh Treaty.He led a successful campaign to change the Juries Act in New Zealand, amid considerable controversy.

Braille Monitor - March 2019 Vol. 62, No. 3, March 2019 Illustration: World Braille Day: The World Acknowledges the Value of Literacy for the Blind  The 2019 Washington Seminar by Gary Wunder Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans: Priorities for the 116th Congress, First Session Access Technology Affordability Act Greater Accessibility and Independence through Nonvisual Access Technology Disability Employment Act We Will Not be Shut Down by Mark Riccobono How the Marrakesh Treaty Came to be Policy: The Perspective from a Longtime Legislator by Senator Charles Grassley National Federation of the Blind Celebrates Ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty by Chris Danielsen Growing Comfortable with the Uncomfortable by Trisha Kulkarni Leave a Legacy Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest Results by Deborah Kent Stein Summer Youth Programs A Network of Support by Mary Lou Grunwald Tactile Graphics in Education and Careers by Stacie Dubnow The Fifty-Year Perspective: An Interview with Ramona Walhof TO-ed at the OT by Lauren Merryfield The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris Recipes Monitor Miniatures 

We catch up with CEO of Vision Australia, Ron Hooton to chat about the developments in Vision Australia’s Children Services area.   Anthea Taylor is also on the program with library information and the exciting progress on the Marrakesh Treaty.   Jonathan Craig editor of Blind Citizens Australia magazine discusses the latest edition just out.

Did you know that President Theodore Roosevelt was blind? Did you also know that cruising on a Carnival ship is accessible? This week on the… Read moreAccessible Carnival Cruises with John Heald, Because of My Blindness with Hans Wiberg, News About Treating Macular Degeneration, The Marrakesh treaty, new audio games and so much more! The post Accessible Carnival Cruises with John Heald, Because of My Blindness with Hans Wiberg, News About Treating Macular Degeneration, The Marrakesh treaty, new audio games and so much more! appeared first on Life After Blindness.

Marrakesh Treaty sent to WIPO; new way to listen to the weekly ACB Advocacy update; news about Nearby Explorer, the wayfinding app from APH; how live plays and musicals are audio described

Marrakesh Treaty sent to WIPO; new way to listen to the weekly ACB Advocacy update; news about Nearby Explorer, the wayfinding app from APH; how live plays and musicals are audio described

Marrakesh Treaty signed by President Trump; quiet car to make noise; 2018 Kentucky Council of the Blind Conference and Convention details; Supreme Court facts

Marrakesh Treaty signed by President Trump; quiet car to make noise; 2018 Kentucky Council of the Blind Conference and Convention details; Supreme Court facts

Update on the Marrakesh Treaty and more on this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update.

Update on the Marrakesh Treaty and more on this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update.

Update on the Marrakesh Treaty and more on this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update.

Update on the Marrakesh Treaty and more on this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update.

The Marrakesh Treaty has passed the United States Senate by unanimous consent, and now awaits legislation in the House. Jonathan talks about the beginnings of the Treaty, and the interesting story behind how the unanimous consent was obtained last week in the Senate.Aira has introduced a new Messages feature. Jonathan describes scenarios where it will be useful. He has also updated the Mosen Consulting blog post on Aira.Jonathan shares a news story about a blind man in Arizona who got into a fight with a police officer in a public toilet. Yeah, you can't make this stuff up!There's a range of listener comments covering topics including backing up your Windows settings, NLS/BARD, whether taxi drivers with allergies should be allowed to remain in the profession, and the use of sleep shades in rehab training.Interested in becoming an audio engineer? Want some truly intensive instruction on how to get a home studio up and running with various software options? Jonathan speaks with Byron Harden of I See Music. For some years, they've been offering extensive training in their studio, and they're now rolling out a range of online courses.We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

The Marrakesh Treaty has passed the United States Senate by unanimous consent, and now awaits legislation in the House. Jonathan talks about the beginnings of the Treaty, and the interesting story behind how the unanimous consent was obtained last week in the Senate. Aira has introduced a new Messages feature. Jonathan describes scenarios where it will be useful. He has also updated the Mosen Consulting blog post on Aira. Jonathan shares a news story about a blind man in Arizona who got into a fight with a police officer in a public toilet. Yeah, you can't make this stuff up! There's a range of listener comments covering topics including backing up your Windows settings, NLS/BARD, whether taxi drivers with allergies should be allowed to remain in the profession, and the use of sleep shades in rehab training. Interested in becoming an audio engineer? Want some truly intensive instruction on how to get a home studio up and running with various software options? Jonathan speaks with Byron Harden of I See Music. For some years, they've been offering extensive training in their studio, and they're now rolling out a range of online courses. We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

Marrakesh Treaty reminder; tips on tipping; demo of Blindfold Runner, a new accessible game for the iPhone

Marrakesh Treaty reminder; tips on tipping; demo of Blindfold Runner, a new accessible game for the iPhone

If you’ve been paying attention to the news around Accessibility for the past few years, you’ve surely heard of the Marrakesh Treaty. But what exactly is the Treaty and what does it all mean? You might even be asking yourself (as we did), where the heck IS Marrakesh? This week Brad Turner from Benetech returns to the show to break down all the details of the Treaty and what exactly it means for accessible books for the global visually impaired community while the Guitar Dungeon’s Google Home answers some of our Geography questions. Show Notes Benetech https://benetech.org/ BookShare https://www.bookshare.org/cms/ Microsoft Accessible Controller Now Available for Pre-Order https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/xbox-adaptive-controller/8nsdbhz1n3d8   AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

Anthony Stephens on Marrakesh Treaty in U.S. Senate; Paula Wiese speaks at 2018 Crossroads luncheon

Anthony Stephens on Marrakesh Treaty in U.S. Senate; Paula Wiese speaks at 2018 Crossroads luncheon

Crossroads Conference - Let Your Journey Begin; APH Reader's Theater; Marrakesh Treaty introduced in Senate; guide dogs in Iowa; Walmart expands grocery delivery

Crossroads Conference - Let Your Journey Begin; APH Reader's Theater; Marrakesh Treaty introduced in Senate; guide dogs in Iowa; Walmart expands grocery delivery

In this Spotlight Interview, James Oates sits down with Brad Turner, the vice president of global literacy at Benetech. They discuss: Benetech Brad tells us about the organization and its mission. Bookshare Brad tells us about how the organization has grown into such a successful digital platform that makes more than a half a million books available for blind and visually impaired individuals. Born Accessible Brad talks about Benetech’s mission to ensure that as more and more print material is born in a digital format, it also needs to be born in an accessible format. The Marrakesh Treaty Brad updates us on the current status of the Marrakesh Treaty in the US Senate. He also discusses the global benefit of this treaty. Spotlight Gateway Brad finally talks about Benetech’s efforts to help with Spotlight Gateway, which is a project designed to help those who have a visually impairment gain access to the power of reading through a combination of the Spotlight Text app, a Bookshare membership, and an iPad. Students who are eligible can receive all of these for free through the Spotlight Gateway program

In this Spotlight Interview, James Oates sits down with Brad Turner, the vice president of global literacy at Benetech. They discuss: Benetech Brad tells us about the organization and its mission. Bookshare Brad tells us about how the organization has grown into such a successful digital platform that makes more than a half a million books available for blind and visually impaired individuals. Born Accessible Brad talks about Benetech’s mission to ensure that as more and more print material is born in a digital format, it also needs to be born in an accessible format. The Marrakesh Treaty Brad updates us on the current status of the Marrakesh Treaty in the US Senate. He also discusses the global benefit of this treaty. Spotlight Gateway Brad finally talks about Benetech’s efforts to help with Spotlight Gateway, which is a project designed to help those who have a visually impairment gain access to the power of reading through a combination of the Spotlight Text app, a Bookshare membership, and an iPad. Students who are eligible can receive all of these for free through the Spotlight Gateway program

In this Spotlight Interview, James Oates sits down with Brad Turner, the vice president of global literacy at Benetech. They discuss: Benetech Brad tells us about the organization and its mission. Bookshare Brad tells us about how the organization has grown into such a successful digital platform that makes more than a half a million books available for blind and visually impaired individuals. Born Accessible Brad talks about Benetech’s mission to ensure that as more and more print material is born in a digital format, it also needs to be born in an accessible format. The Marrakesh Treaty Brad updates us on the current status of the Marrakesh Treaty in the US Senate. He also discusses the global benefit of this treaty. Spotlight Gateway Brad finally talks about Benetech’s efforts to help with Spotlight Gateway, which is a project designed to help those who have a visually impairment gain access to the power of reading through a combination of the Spotlight Text app, a Bookshare membership, and an iPad. Students who are eligible can receive all of these for free through the Spotlight Gateway program

This week we replay one of the most popular programs of 2016 an extended conversation with advocate Maryanne Diamond. At the time of this interview (September 2016) Maryanne had just been awarded the Louis Braille Medal. This most prestigious award is granted to individuals who have made a substantial and outstanding contribution to the World Blind Union (WBU) over a long period of time. Maryanne is a former president of the WBU, former Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia, the founding Executive Officer of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) and former General Manager of Advocacy and Engagement at Vision Australia. She is currently the General Manager for the NDIA's Media, Communications and Engagement. Her work has included developing training workshops in Mongolia on leadership for women who are blind and establishing a PNG blind union and to provide leadership and advocacy training to people who are blind or have low vision in PNG. Maryanne has also tirelessly advocated for the Marrakesh Treaty for the Marrakesh Treaty, and for leading World Blind Union's Right to Read Campaign and the global effort to end the book famine. She discusses her school and university years and the choices she made that took her through her adventurous career path for the past 20 years.

Marrakesh Treaty goes into effect at the United Nations; ACB Radio Holiday Auction - get ready to bid and buy!

Marrakesh Treaty goes into effect at the United Nations; ACB Radio Holiday Auction - get ready to bid and buy!

This week, Stella enjoys an extended conversation with advocate Maryanne Diamond who was recently awarded the Louis Braille Medal. This most prestigious award is granted to individuals who have made a substantial and outstanding contribution to the World Blind Union (WBU) over a long period of time.   Maryanne is a former president of the WBU, former Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia, the founding Executive Officer of Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) and former General Manager of Advocacy and Engagement at Vision Australia. She is currently the General Manager for the NDIA's Media, Communications and Engagement. Her work has included developing training workshops in Mongolia on leadership for women who are blind and establishing a PNG blind union and to provide leadership and advocacy training to people who are blind or have low vision in PNG. Maryanne has also tirelessly advocated for the Marrakesh Treaty for the Marrakesh Treaty, and for leading World Blind Union's Right to Read Campaign and the global effort to end the book famine. . She discusses her school and university years and the choices she made that took her through her adventurous career path for the past 20 years.

The Marrakesh Treaty was designed to make the sharing of books more seamless between countries, and therefore make more literature available to people with visual impairments. It needed 20 countries to ratify it, and this was achieved at the end of June. Dan Pescod from the Royal National Institute of Blind People tells Peter White what happens next, and what it could mean for readers in the UK. Meanwhile. three guests give their suggestions for absorbing summer reads, and talk about the devices they use to read their books. They are: BBC Washington Correspondent Gary O'Donoghue, author Tanvir Bush and avid reader, Adrienne Chalmers. Adrienne Chalmers's choices: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke published by Bloomsbury The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields published by Fourth Estate Gary O'Donoghue's choices: The Lonely City by Olivia Laing published by Canongate Books Hotels of North America by Rick Moody published by Little Brown and Company Tanvir Bush's choices: Good Kings, Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum published by Oneworld Publications Sight Unseen by Georgina Kleege published by Yale University Press Presenter: Peter White Producer: Lee Kumutat.

This week on Talking Vision, we celebrate the signature of the 20th country on the Marrakesh Treaty, the Treaty will come into effect on 30 September 2016. The Marrakesh Treaty is international agreement that will help an estimated 285 million people worldwide have greater access to books published in accessible formats such as large print, braille or audio. To help us understand what this means for the blindness and low vision community Stella is joined by  Anthea Taylor, Manager Accessible Information Library Service at Vision Australia. Anthea is  a passionate advocate of accessible information and a copyright expert. Also on the program, we catch up with Tanya Savva and her Road Unseen journey and Stella has an extended chat with Frances Keyland and a special edition of Reader Recommended.

Edition 266 for the week of 4th May 2015. Today we hear about how the international blind and low vision community is working together on a number of initiatives, to improve the lives of the people who are blind or have low vision across the world, including Australia. First up, Peter talks to Vision Australia's General Manager of Advocacy and Engagement Maryanne Diamond about three of these major initiatives: the DAISY Consortium, the Marrakesh Treaty and the development of a low-cost refreshable braille display. He also speaks with Alimata Abdul Karimu. Alimata is from Ghana, Africa and is involved in a three-month professional fellowship at Vision Australia, as part of the Institutional Development Programme of the World Blind Union. We hear about the aims of the fellowship, as well as Alimata's life story and experiences of living with blindness in Africa. Let Talking Vision be your national radio reference on blindness and low vision. A Vision Australia Radio production, it is broadcast nationally each week on over 25 RPH and other community stations.