30 September 2026 marks ten years since the Marrakesh Treaty entered into force, helping to improve access to books and information for people who are blind, have low vision, or have other print disabilities. By making it easier to create and share accessible-format copies of published works, the treaty removed many of the copyright barriers that had previously limited access to information around the world.
For many people, the treaty is not well known. Yet it has played an important role in improving access to books, education and information for millions of readers.
What is the Marrakesh Treaty?
The Marrakesh Treaty is an international agreement that allows authorised organisations to create and share accessible versions of copyrighted works, such as braille, audio and large-print books, without needing to seek permission from the copyright holder every time. It also enables accessible books to be exchanged more easily between participating countries.
At its heart is a simple idea: people with print disabilities should be able to access information as feasibly and comfortably as a person without a print disability.
Why was it needed?
People who are blind or have low vision have long faced what is often called the "book famine" - a shortage of books and published materials available in accessible formats.
Despite significant progress, only a small fraction of published works are available in accessible formats, meaning many readers still do not have the same access to books and information as their sighted peers.
Without access to books, educational resources and everyday information, people can face barriers to learning, employment, independence and participation in community life. The challenge was not simply a lack of accessible formats. Different copyright laws between countries often made it difficult to legally share accessible books across borders, even when those books had already been produced elsewhere.
The treaty was designed to address those challenges and make international sharing of accessible books easier.
What Changed?
The treaty was an important milestone. It recognised the importance of accessible information and made the process of creating and sharing accessible books much more straightforward. But it didn't create accessible books.
Long before the Marrakesh Treaty, organisations around the world were already working to provide books and information in accessible formats. Braille House has been part of that effort for more than 129 years.
Generations of volunteers at Braille House have generously given their time to transcribe books, publications and information into braille, helping turn the right to accessible information into reality.
What the treaty changed was the framework around that work.
By reducing copyright barriers and making international sharing easier, the treaty created new opportunities for collaboration and reduced duplication of effort. Given that producing a braille book can easily take hundreds of hours, this was a significant step forward. Instead of multiple organisations producing the same accessible title independently, authorised entities could more readily exchange accessible-format books and resources across participating countries.
What Does This Mean for Braille House?
Today, Braille House proudly maintains Australia's largest collection of braille books and resources.
Our mission remains much the same as it was more than a century ago: to empower people who are blind or have low vision through alternative formats.
While our methods have evolved, our purpose has not.
In 2025, Braille House became the first organisation in Australia to provide members with direct access to the Accessible Books Consortium, helping connect Australian readers with a growing international collection of accessible books and resources. The consortium is one of the practical initiatives helping deliver on the goals of the Marrakesh Treaty by expanding access to accessible books worldwide.
Every braille book, magazine, newsletter, menu, information guide and educational resource we produce helps someone read, learn, connect and participate more independently.
Why Don't We Simply Sell Braille Books?
Firstly, because of the time required, the cost of materials and the small, manual production runs involved, producing braille books can cost thousands of dollars per title.
Copyright also continues to play an important role in accessible publishing.
While the Marrakesh Treaty makes it easier to create and share accessible-format copies for eligible readers, it does not remove copyright protections. Accessible copies can only be created and distributed under specific conditions and for eligible beneficiaries. In most cases, they must also be provided on a non-profit basis.
This is one reason why Braille House operates Australia's largest free braille lending library rather than a traditional bookshop.
Through our library, a single braille title can be enjoyed by many readers over its lifetime, helping us provide access to a broad range of accessible books and resources to as many people as possible while working within copyright frameworks that balance the rights of readers, authors and publishers.
If resources were unlimited, we would make every book available in braille and other accessible formats.
The reality is that accessible books do not simply appear on library shelves. Publishers are not typically responsible for the cost and work involved in creating braille editions. Books must be transcribed by highly trained braille transcribers, then produced, catalogued and made available to readers. Every new title requires time, expertise and significant resources.
That is why the work of our volunteers remains as important today as it was generations ago.
Without volunteers, even with the Marrakesh Treaty, we would have a library with no books.
The Book Famine Is Not Over
Ten years after the treaty came into force, there is much to celebrate.
But there is also much still to do.
Despite significant progress, many books, educational resources and everyday information sources remain inaccessible. Even when accessible versions exist, they may only be available in a format that does not meet the reader's needs.
Consider how you would feel if you could only access books in audio format. You could listen to the story, but reading, spelling, punctuation, note-taking and literacy development would be very different experiences. For many people who are blind or have low vision, access is not simply about having a book available. It is about having that book available in the format that works best for them, whether that be braille, audio, large print or a combination of formats.
Access to braille and braille literacy continues to vary significantly depending on where a person lives, what support is available and whether materials can be obtained in the formats needed to read, learn and participate independently.
The book famine that inspired the Marrakesh Treaty has improved, but it has not disappeared.
That is why Braille House is proud to support the global movement for braille literacy and accessible information.
Looking Forward: The Next Chapter
This year, the World Blind Union (WBU) and the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) launched the Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education, calling on governments, educational institutions and organisations around the world to ensure learners who are blind or have low vision have access to quality braille instruction, accessible learning materials, assistive technologies and qualified educational support.
Braille House is proud to support the goals of the declaration and our involvement in the Global Braille Campaign: More Braille, More Empowerment.
In many ways, this feels like the next chapter in the same story.
The Marrakesh Treaty helped improve access to books. The Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education seeks to ensure people have the skills, resources and support needed to use them.
Since 1897, Braille House has believed that access to information changes lives. Through the dedication of volunteers, staff, supporters and partners, we continue to work towards a future where every person who is blind or has low vision is empowered by access to information, education and opportunity as feasibly and comfortably as anyone else.
For generations, the community has helped sustain this work. While Queensland Government funding now contributes to the delivery of library services, it covers only part of what is required for this important national service. Ensuring accessible information remains available for future generations continues to rely on people who believe that access to information matters.
The Marrakesh Treaty was an important step forward.
But accessible books still need to be created. Information still needs to be made available. Readers still need services they can rely on.
For more than 129 years, Braille House has been helping make that possible.
To every volunteer who has transcribed a page, every donor who has funded a book, every supporter who has championed our mission and every reader who has shared their story, thank you.
You are helping create a future where people who are blind or have low vision can access information, education and opportunity more independently and more equitably.
Thank you for helping bridge the gap between the right to information and real-world access to it.
Thank you for helping bring the world to their fingertips.
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