On Friday, in Da Nang, the Viet Nam Association of the Blind coordinated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to organise a workshop and training on the Marrakesh Treaty and related legal regulations of Viet Nam.

The training on the Marrakesh Treaty is in progress in Da Nang. Photo: https://nhandan.vn/

According to estimates by the World Blind Union, nearly 1% of the books published in developed countries are converted into accessible formats for print-disabled persons.

The creation of accessible formats of published works such as braille, audio, electronic, and sign language transcriptions is becoming increasingly important in Viet Nam to ensure print-disabled persons can exercise their rights to equality and integrate into the community.

World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)-administered Marrakesh Treaty was adopted on June 27, 2013, and entered into force on September 30, 2016.

The treaty makes the production and international transfer of specially-adapted books for people with blindness or visual impairments easier. It does this by establishing a set of limitations and exceptions to traditional copyright law. It aims to create a legal environment for improving the access to published works for the disabled unable to access print publications in normal ways, and create a reasonable balance between copyright protection and common interests.

Since 2018, the Viet Nam Association of the Blind has coordinated with UNDP to promote Viet Nam's accession to the Marrakesh Treaty. In December 2022, Viet Nam officially became a member of the Marrakesh Treaty in an effort to protect interests of visually impaired people.

Ms. Dinh Viet Anh, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of the Blind said the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty will help improve print-disabled persons’ access to publications through the use of exceptions to copyright rules.

The treaty plays an important role in eliminating barriers facing persons with print disabilities, thus helping boost the equal access to information as well as education and job opportunities for them, she added.

Reporting by https://nhandan.vn/- Translating by A.THU