Kazakhstan will facilitate access to printed
information for people with visual impairments. The Senate, the Upper House of
the Kazakh Parliament, has approved a law ratifying the Marrakesh Treaty. It enables
countries to exchange art publications and educational materials in formats
accessible to blind and visually impaired individuals, including in Braille,
audio format, and large print. According to the Ministry of Culture and
Information, once the law comes into effect, the country’s book fund for
visually impaired people will expand significantly, and the number of libraries
providing such materials will grow substantially. Currently, there are 17 specialized
libraries and 142 library points across the country. The total collection
includes one million copies for visually impaired and blind individuals, of
which around 200,000 are in Braille.
«The protection of the rights of people with
disabilities and the creation of an inclusive environment is one of the
priority areas of social policy being implemented in the country. In this
regard, the provisions of the treaty under consideration aim to improve access
to literary and artistic works for visually impaired people. The agreement
includes mechanisms for cross-border exchange of works in an accessible format
through authorized bodies,» noted Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairperson of the Senate,
the Upper House of the Kazakh Parliament.
«Of course, we now expect exponential growth,
as literature will become accessible. The mechanism is as follows: there is a
special consortium of countries that have ratified this agreement, and we will
carry out this exchange. The author gives consent to transfer literature
to all countries that have ratified the agreement. In February, we will have a
consultative meeting at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
where we will develop mechanisms, and our library network will begin receiving
these books,» said Yevgeniy Kochetov, Kazakh Vice Minister of Culture and
Information.
Notably, the Marrakesh Treaty was adopted at
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) conference in 2013. Its
ratification marks an important step for Kazakhstan toward building an
inclusive society. According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of
the Population, there are over 85,000 visually impaired people in the country.
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