Policy Position agreed by the World Blind Union (WBU), the Daisy Consortium and IFLA Libraries for the Blind Section (LBS)

1. As asserted in the resolution adopted at the WBU General Assembly in Melvourne in the year 2000 access to information is a fundamental human right. The term “information” is used here in its broadest sense, encompassing access to life-long learning, to culture and to entertainment.

2. One essential channel through which information is made available is the written word. It follows that access to the written word is indispensable if the rights of access described above are to be realised.

3. Blind, partially sighted and print disabled people can only access the written word, whether originally displayed on paper or on computer screen, if the presentation of that material is adapted in some way. Adaptations include enlarging, altering features such as colour or font, transferring into a tactile code or transferring into an audio format.

4. Any restriction which impedes access to information by such disabled people, whether legal, technological or economic is a form of discrimination and should be removed.

5. Blind, partially sighted and print disabled people are entitled to read the same material as their fellow citizens, at the same time and at no additional cost to the individual.

6. While there is a commercial market for a limited range of “accessible” material, most has to be created by specialist agencies operating on charitable funds or social subventions. In practice, only a small proportion of the material published currently becomes available in accessible formats.

7. Because of this shortage of alternative format materials, blind, partially sighted and print disabled people should have easy access to the world stock of accessible materials without geographical or territorial limitations caused by commercial copyright licensing arrangements or legislative divergence.

8. Copyright is in itself a legitimate form of moral and economic protection for creators and those such as publishers who add value to creative work. Agencies serving blind and partially sighted people should acknowledge this in their working relationships with rights holders.

9. Any copyright restrictions which delay or prevent access to published material by blind, partially sighted or print disabled people are unjust.

10. The Berne Convention, the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Treaty and the WIPO Copyright Treaty allow states to include in their intellectual property laws exceptions or limitations to copyright which do not conflict with the legitimate interests of rights holders.

11. IFLA LBS/WBU/Daisy believes that every state in the World should have such exceptions or limitations in their national law. Consistency between national regimes is desirable. The form of exceptions or limitations should be as set out in the WBU Resolution referred to above (see Appendix 2).

12. IFLA LBS/WBU/Daisy also strive for the creation of international agreements which would allow the unhindered transfer of accessible material created in one country to blind, partially sighted and print disabled people in another country.

13. With the advent of digital rights management and technological protection measures, copyright legislation should also allow for legal alternative ways of accessing any documents rendered inaccessible by such measures.

14. IFLA LBS/WBU/Daisy also recognize that the removal of copyright barriers, while important in itself and a valuable foundation for future action, will not alone give instant access to all published material. It is also important to establish close working relationships between rights holders (especially publishers) and agencies serving blind, partially sighted and print disabled people.

15. IFLA LBS/WBU/Daisy supports any valid initiative to improve this collaboration, including:

adoption by the mainstream publishing industry of standards and specifications which facilitate the creation of accessible copies. The Daisy Standard is the prime example of this.

schemes for compulsory or voluntary deposit of master copies to which bona fide individuals or agencies would have access;

licensing agreements between publishers and agencies serving blind, partially sighted and print disabled people;

other forms of collaboration between rights holders and agencies, in which the latter are seen as “trusted intermediaries ” to whom electronic material may be passed securely in order to facilitate the timely availability of accessible copies of published material.

April 2004