Abstract

The Marrakesh Treaty, according to this article, is helping create and distribute digital content, such as text, audio, Braille and large-print books, by allowing for the creation and distribution of copyrighted content in accessible formats without the permission or involvement of the original rights holders. The book famine has always existed, but the Marrakesh Treaty has pumped water into this desert as the treaty helps improve the educational content and resources available to the visually impaired. The Marrakesh Treaty is available to any country to become a part of international law, and also if they choose to do so. India with about 50 per cent (27 million) of the world’s visually impaired population benefits immensely from the Treaty as it hopes to remove the gap between the abilities of the visually impaired to pursue educational and employment opportunities. It is important to strike a balance in order to create environments that are conducive to the living and work conditions of the visually impaired here in Kerala the Accessible India Campaign works to create a more accessible India for the visually impaired and introduces policies that enforce greater accessibility and reasonable accommodations in education, employment, sports and public life following the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. The majority of visually impaired students in India attended so-called ‘blind schools’ designed to isolate the visually impaired and distance them from the general population. They were not given the same tools as sighted students and were unable to communicate in the same ways. Reading and writing were taught using abugida or abjad writing systems such as traditional Braille. Now, technological advancements such as Braille displays, screen readers and text-to-speech software are allowing visually impaired students to ensure that they have better access to educational and professional opportunities.

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