The Center for Internet and Society, Daisy Forum of India, and Bookbole have joined hands to launch the Right to Read campaign in India as part of the global Right to Read campaign launched by the World Blind Union. Find out more about this amazing idea.
The Problem
Nearly 70 million persons in India have some form of disability (visual impairment being the most common) that prevents them from reading printed matter. The good part is that there are technologies available which can help persons with print-impairment to read, if the material is converted into an alternate format such as large print, audio, Braille or any electronic format.
Unfortunately the Indian law does not permit a person with print impairment to make an ‘accessible copy’ of a book in order to be able to ‘read it’. What this means is that every time a print-impaired person wishes to ‘read’ a book he/she has to get permission from the copyright-holder – a completely unfeasible proposition.
The Solution
To solve this problem the law in question i.e. the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 should be amended to permit persons with print impairment to convert materials into accessible formats.
Campaign Objective
The ‘right to read’ campaign seeks to:
• Accelerate change in copyright law;
• Raise public awareness on the issue of access to reading for the print-impaired; and
• Gather Indian support for the Treaty for the Blind proposed by the World Blind Union at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Campaign Activities
The campaign seeks to achieve its objectives through:
• Road-shows;
• Televised debates;
• Nationwide public rallies;
• Online petitions;
• Audio-video clips showcasing the difficulties faced by the persons with print impairment and how technology developments help; and
• Submission of a legal paper to the government on international scenario and constitutional compulsions for the amendment of the copyright law.
For the first time ever, there is a bold claim for a RIGHT to read rather than a PLEA for help. It is the start of one of Inclusive Planet’s most exciting journeys!
