The Citizen reports that members of Blind SA and other organisations marched to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) on Tuesday to demand the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for the blind or visually impaired.

Section27 and Blind SA handed over a memorandum to the departments of trade, industry and competition; women, youth and persons with disabilities; justice and constitutional development; Dirco and the presidency. Section27 spokesperson Pearl Nicodemus advised that the memorandum was endorsed by 14 organisations. “The 27th June marked the 10th anniversary of the Wipo Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for the blind or visually impaired. Unfortunately, South Africa has not yet ratified this treaty, which would allow the blind or visually impaired to access millions of books in accessible formats from around the world,” she pointed out. One of the participants, Taboo Lehasa, said he supported the march because it was important for the blind to access reading material and books. “Without a treaty being signed, they won’t have access to books. For me, the most important thing was getting more books published in Braille and other accessing formats,” he explained. According to Lehasa, blind people were the most discriminated against in the workforce. “Blind people are not being employed. They may submit CVs but they never get any feedback. The department of labour’s employment portal was also not for the blind,” he asserted.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page