Marrakesh: The Next Ten Years
The Marrakesh Treaty has successfully created opportunities to access information in accessible formats and exchange these materials globally. The promise of the Treaty continues to grow day by day. However, these opportunities do not yet reach every reader, language group or community equally. As we look towards the next decade, we aim for access to become a practical reality for more people, so that the opportunity to read what you want to read, in the format you want to read, at the same time as everyone else, becomes the norm for everyone. Monica Halil, Head of the ABC reminds us:
The Treaty and ABC are already making a real, measurable difference and I would want that to become the everyday norm. Together, we can turn a book famine into a book feast.
The Treaty Alongside Mainstream Publishing
Building on the achievements of the Treaty, we are also moving in the right direction in accessible mainstream publishing. Many publishers, particularly in regions where legislation exists, are making efforts to improve the accessibility of their publications. This raises an important question: how should the Treaty’s role evolve as mainstream publishing becomes more accessible?
The Marrakesh Treaty continues to support international efforts to end the book famine, and mainstream accessible publishing contributes to the same goal. The two complement each other and work in tandem: the Treaty has a framework for reproducing and exchanging accessible copies, while accessible publishing works towards a future where all new publications are accessible from the outset, reducing the need for later adaptation.
Even if all newly published works become accessible from the outset there may still be challenges to overcome:
- Some readers may still need specialist formats, such as braille, or adaptations that respond to their specific reading needs. Accessibility requirements are not an on/off switch: they are constantly evolving and specific to an individual.
- Readers need reading tools that support their languages.
- Commercial availability does not guarantee access: an accessible edition may not be available in all regions of the world, the digital book may be prohibitively expensive
- the reader may need an older version of the title that was never published in an accessible format.
These needs show why mainstream accessible publishing must be supported by continuous efforts to produce and share accessible titles between authorized entities and continue to address barriers that might prevent access. The Marrakesh Treaty remains an important part of these efforts, particularly for older titles and specialist formats and will continue to remain relevant in the next decade. Andrew Furlong from Vision Australia:
While many opportunities and challenges lie ahead, the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty has transformed access to information by enabling Vision Australia and other libraries for the blind around the world to share accessible publications, reduce duplication, use resources more efficiently, and broaden access to information for people who are blind or vision impaired worldwide.
Supporting and Strengthening National Implementation
The Marrakesh Treaty has made a significant difference in parts of the world, yet continued advocacy is needed to encourage more countries to join. The goal should be that all WIPO member states become part of the Treaty. Advocacy is key in keeping access to information on national agendas and that supporting governments understand what the Treaty means for readers with print disabilities. As Monical Halil, Head of ABC explains
What helps most is sustained advocacy: showing governments that ratification is low-cost and high-impact, sharing success stories from neighboring countries, and WIPO offering practical support to update national copyright laws. Peer pressure, in the nicest sense, works wonders when one country in a region joins, others often follow.
So, what is keeping organizations from putting the Treaty into practice? As IFLA highlights in its article, “How to get Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Wrong,” in some countries, legal and administrative barriers include difficulties registering as Authorized Entities, restrictive definitions of Authorized Entities, requirements to make payments to rightsholders, or checks on the commercial availability of accessible works before production. These requirements can make implementation more difficult and contribute to delays in putting the Treaty into practice.
Building Strong Networks of Authorized Entities
Advocacy requires efforts from everyone, and the DAISY community has played and continues to play an important role in moving towards the end of the book famine. Alongside advocacy, we must continue to champion unified accessibility standards to help make accessible content easier to create, convert, share and ultimately use.
Basile Mignonneau, from AVH said:
There is much more we can do over the next 10 years. Authorized entities need sustained funding for the practical work that turns shared files into books people can find and read. Smaller organizations need technical assistance and opportunities to contribute as well as receive content.
We would also prioritize cooperation on collection development. Identifying missing titles and coordinating adaptation work can reduce duplication and improve coverage, especially in underserved languages and specialist subjects.
Accessible mainstream publishing should develop alongside cross-border exchange, with continued provision for books and formats that remain unavailable.
Much work remains to be done in developing regions to strengthen capacity and address technology gaps that have left many people behind. This also means supporting organizations in becoming operational Authorized Entities, helping them identify sources of funding when needed. To support these efforts, we have established DAISY Regional Networks to address common challenges and explore opportunities specific to each region, all working towards the shared goal of universal access to information.
Improving Access Through Standards and Technology
Technology gaps and limited support for local languages in reading and conversion tools still present significant barriers and it is vital that we continue to innovate and explore these areas with a focus on helping readers access information faster, more efficiently and independently. Much effort has gone into building capacity in developing and least-developed countries, yet further investment, sustained funding and ongoing technical support remain necessary.
Advances in technology, especially AI, have the potential to improve the production, discoverability and availability of accessible books. AI can support the conversion process through tasks such as structuring content, generating image descriptions and producing synthetic narration, with human review to ensure accuracy and accessibility.
WIPO is developing the ABC AI Conversion Tool in collaboration with the DAISY Consortium, building on DAISY’s expertise and practical experience of AI innovation. It aims to accelerate the conversion of PDF publications into accessible formats, with early tests showing significant reductions in production time and the potential to help organizations create more accessible books with limited resources. WIPO hopes to launch the tool in early 2027.
In addition to the continued development of standards for ebooks and talking books, including EPUB and the DAISY format, the recently released ebraille standard offers a more flexible and navigable format for digital braille that readers can use with refreshable braille displays. Braille remains a foundation of literacy and independence for readers, even in the digital era. ABC has partnered with the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment and the World Blind Union on a global braille literacy campaign, and the Global Book Service currently includes over 120,000 braille titles.
Facilitating the Discovery of Accessible Books
Another important challenge is making accessible collections easier to discover. Without the ability to identify accessible books, access will still be stifled. Work is underway to improve accessibility metadata in both the publishing and library arenas, helping readers to identify books with the accessibility features they need. One example is the IFLA Accessibility Metadata Network, which developed Accessibility Metadata: Statement and Principles. The statement promotes clear and consistent information about accessibility in library catalogues, enabling readers with disabilities to identify and choose suitable resources independently.
The Future of the Marrakesh Treaty
The next ten years needs to bring these opportunities to more readers, whatever their language or wherever they live. This will require continued cooperation between governments, authorized entities, publishers and readers themselves.
Richard Orme, from the DAISY Consortium reflected on the future of the Treaty, saying:
The Marrakesh Treaty can transform access to books by enabling Authorized Entities to create and share accessible publications across borders, helping more people with print disabilities get the books they need. Building on that achievement, advances in accessible publishing—including standards, practices, training, and tools such as AI—give us the opportunity to go much further. Our challenge is to ensure these developments reach everyone who can benefit and deliver high-quality results. Ten years from now, I hope every country will have joined and fully implemented the Marrakesh Treaty, and accessibility will be integral to how all books are authored and published, with the Treaty continuing to underpin effective services for those who still need specialist support.
Our shared goal is for people with print disabilities to have real choice about what they read and the ability to easily obtain the books they need in their preferred format. That is why we must continue to advocate, urging governments not just to join the Treaty but to implement it fully.
As Diana Rosales of CNIB states:
Building on CNIB’s longstanding commitment to accessible reading and braille literacy, the Marrakesh Treaty represents meaningful progress toward a future where people can choose what they read in a format that works for them. Its promise will be fully realized when everyone has the same freedom to learn, imagine, and connect through reading.
The Marrakesh Treaty has already changed the global landscape of accessible publications, enabling library services to provide significantly more titles, and supporting more people with print disabilities with the fundamental human right that is access to information. The world is without question a better place as a direct result of the Marrakesh Treaty, and the benefits will undoubtable continue to improve well into the next decade.
This is part three of a three-part series to celebrate 10 years of the Marrakesh Treaty
Return to part 1: Marrakesh: From Book Famine to Global Treaty
Return to part 2: Marrakesh: Ten Years of Implementation
Return to the main Marrakesh Treaty article with links to resources.