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The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is a public-private partnership which was launched in 2014 by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The ABC was created with the intent of being "one possible initiative, amongst others, to implement the aims of the Marrakesh VIP Treaty at a practical level."[1][2][3] ABC's goal is "to increase the number of books worldwide in accessible formats - such as braille, audio, e-text, and large print and to make them available to people who are blind, have low vision or are otherwise print disabled."[4][5][6]
 The ABC logo is in the form of an open book, with ABC depicted in both Braille and letters | |
| Headquarters | World Intellectual Property Organization headquarters |
|---|---|
| Location |
|
Region served | Worldwide |
| Services | To increase the number of books worldwide in accessible formats |
Parent organization | World Intellectual Property Organization |
| Website | www |
Context
editThe World Health Organization estimated in 2018 that worldwide 253 million people are visually impaired, with more than 90% of them living in developing and least developed countries. The World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that only 10% of people who are blind are able to go to school or have employment. World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that less than 10% of all published materials can be read by people who are blind or visually impaired, with the lack of accessible books being a significant barrier to getting an education and leading an independent life.[1]
Work
editThe Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) operates through three channels:
- The ABC Global Book Service: hosting an online platform that allows for the cross-border exchange of books in accessible formats. The Service contains titles in over 80 languages, with English, French and Spanish being the predominant languages.[7][8]
- Training and Technical Assistance: establishing projects in developing and least-developed countries to "provide training and funding for the production of educational materials in accessible formats in national languages for students who are print disabled."[9][10]
- Accessible Publishing: promoting the production of "born accessible" publications by all publishers. Born accessible books are usable by both people who are print disabled or sighted. ABC encourage accessible publishing through the ABC Charter for Accessible Publishing and the ABC International Excellence Award, which 'recognizes outstanding leadership and achievements in advancing the accessibility of digital publications'.[11][12]
Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) Global Book Service
editThe ABC Global Book Service is a free service that puts into practice the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty. It allows participating libraries for the blind, referred to in the Marrakesh Treaty as Authorized Entities (AEs), to search, order and exchange books in accessible digital formats across national borders. Through the Service, Authorized Entities that are located in countries that have implemented the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty are able to perform these exchanges without requiring further authorization from rights holders.[13][14][15]
Through their participation in the Service, AEs are able to make the accessible books that are shared by all other AEs available to their own patrons.[16] By pooling their collective resources in this way, libraries can vastly increase their selection of books in large-print, audio books, digital braille and braille music.[17][18]
In April 2021, ABC launched an additional application that allows individuals who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled to have direct access to search and download books in accessible formats from the ABC Global Book Service. This new application is offered to Authorized Entities located in countries that have ratified and implemented the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty.[19][20][21]
List of authorized entities that have joined the ABC Global Book Service
editTraining and Technical Assistance
editThe Accessible Books Consortium provides training and technical assistance to organizations in developing and least developed countries on the production of accessible format books. According to the ABC: "the ABC model for capacity building aims to equip organizations in developing and least developed countries with the ability to produce educational materials in national languages to be used by primary, secondary and university students who are print disabled." This allows participating organizations to convert textbooks into accessible formats, such as DAISY, ePUB3, and digital braille.[23] Such assistance has been provided to organizations including in Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Tunisia.[24][25][26][27][28][29]
In February 2021, ABC launched an online course providing similar training on the production of books in accessible formats, in part to 'ensure the continuation of its assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic'.[30]
Accessible publishing
editThe Accessible Books Consortium encourages the production of accessible eBooks through the use of the accessibility features of the EPUB3 standard.
ABC International Excellence Award for Accessible Publishing
editList of winners:[31]
| Year | Winner Publisher Category | Winner Initiative Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2022[32] | Kogan Page (UK) | Mr. Ashoka Bandula Weerawardhana (Sri Lanka) |
| 2021 | Taylor & Francis Group (UK) | National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS, Canada) |
| 2020 | Macmillan Learning (USA)[33] | Fondazione LIA (Italy)[33] |
| 2019 | EDITORIAL 5 (ED5) (Brazil)[34] | eKitabu (Kenya)[34] |
| 2018 | Hachette Livre (France)[35] | DAISY Forum of India (India)[35] |
| 2017 | SAGE Publishing (UK)[36] | Tiflonexos (Argentina)[36] |
| 2016 | Elsevier (UK)[37] | Action on Disability Rights and Development (ADRAD) (Nepal) and DK Braille Concept Development Team (part of Penguin Random House) (UK)[37] |
| 2015 | Cambridge University Press (UK)[38] and Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) (Bangladesh)[38] | |
ABC Charter for Accessible Publishing Signatories
editThe Accessible Books Consortium Charter for Accessible Publishing contains eight principles designed to encourage publishers are following accessibility best practices.[39] The Accessible Books Consortium partners include[40]
Accessible Books Consortium advisory board members
editThe ABC has an advisory board which provides technical expertise, transparency and communication with stakeholders. Its members are:[42]
- African Union for the Blind
- Blind Citizens of New Zealand
- DAISY Consortium
- Dedicon
- eBound Canada
- Government of Australia
- International Authors Forum (IAF)
- International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment
- International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
- International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO)
- International Publishers Association (IPA)
- Manual Moderno
- Sao Mai Vocational and Assistive Technology Center for the Blind
- World Blind Union (WBU)
- World Intellectual Property Organization
References
edit- ^ a b "Accessible Books Consortium". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Accessibility". International Publishers Association. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Bright days ahead for blind learners". Daily Monitor. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Accessible Books Consortium". The DAISY Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "IFLA -- Projects". IFLA. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Handicap et accès à la lecture : lancement d'une bibliothèque numérique adaptée mondiale | Association Valentin Haüy". www.carenews.com (in French). Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "QNL, WIPO sign pact on cross-border exchange of books". Gulf Times (in Arabic). 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Copyright key to empowerment, asserts International Publishers Association". PrintWeek. India. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Capacity Building". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Kalimat Foundation, '1001 Titles' sign MoU". Gulf Today. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "House of Anansi nominated for London Book Fair's accessible books publishing award". Quill and Quire. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Dialogue and Jacaranda vie for LBF International Excellence Awards". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ Saez, Catherine (2016-11-21). "Turning Promises Of Marrakesh Treaty For Visually Impaired Into Reality". Intellectual Property Watch. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Record number of countries shortlisted for LBF International Excellence Awards 2020". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ Mazumdar, Anandashankar (2021-02-22). "The Marrakesh Treaty in Action: Exciting Progress in Access to Published Works for the Blind and Print-Disabled Communities". blogs.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ Pandit, Ambika (2016-08-24). "Centre launches 'Sugamya Pustakalaya' an online library for Persons with disabilities". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Qatar National Library and Mada pact promotes accessible dig..." menafn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Bright days ahead for blind learners". Daily Monitor. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "New ABC Application Gets Accessible Books Directly to People who are Print-Disabled". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "New ABC Application Gets Accessible Books Directly to Print-Disabled People". miragenews.com. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Handicap et accès à la lecture : Lancement d'une bibliothèque numérique adaptée mondiale". Association Valentin Haüy. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13.
- ^ "Report on the Accessible Books Consortium". WIPO. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
- ^ "¡1000 libros! - Adaptamos este año con el Proyecto de Libros Escolares!". Tiflonexos (in Spanish). 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Fed Govt pledges inclusive quality education, employment for the blind". The Nation Nigeria. 22 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-10-24.
- ^ Subramaniam, Garimella (2017-05-26). "For inclusive publishing". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Making books accessible to all". The Hindu. 2016-09-30. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Vers l'accès facile des déficients visuels à la lecture". Webmanagercenter (in French). 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "¡1000 libros! - Adaptamos este año con el Proyecto de Libros Escolares!". Tiflonexos (in Spanish). 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Providing accessible books and learning materials to blind students". Zero Project. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "WIPO'S ABC Launches Its First Online Course in Accessible Book Production". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "WIPO Will Present the 2021 Accessible Publishing Award at Frankfurter Buchmesse". Publishing Perspectives. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ Critchley, Adam (2022-12-01). "At Guadalajara, A CANIEM Seminar on Accessible Publishing". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ a b "Accessible Books Consortium's 2020 Excellence Awards Given to Macmillan Learning and Fondazione LIA". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ a b "Accessible Books Consortium Announces Winners of 2019 ABC International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ a b "Accessible Books Consortium Announces Winners of 2018 ABC International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ a b "Winners Announced for 2017 Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ a b "Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award 2016: Winners Announced". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ a b "Two Winners Announced for Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "Hachette Livre has signed the ABC's Charter for Accessible Publishing" (Press release). Lagardère Group. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
- ^ "ABC Charter for Accessible Publishing Signatories". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "Accessible print for all: Sarah Runcie on the Australian Inclusive Publishing Initiative". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
- ^ "About Us". Accessible Books Consortium. Retrieved 2021-08-13.