Unlocking Inclusive Reading: RUB Empowers Libraries on Marrakesh Treaty

The Rwanda Union of the Blind, a national organization advocating for the rights of persons with visual impairment in Rwanda, has conducted a training session for representatives from twenty libraries with the aim of creating awareness about the Marrakesh Treaty and helping them understand their role in implementing the treaty.

The main objective of the training is to equip the representatives of different libraries with necessary information about Marrakesh Treaty and its relationship with libraries in order to encourage all the involved institutions the implementation of the treaty to facilitate the enjoyment of the benefits of the Treaty by its beneficiaries.

The two days training took place at La Palme Hotel located in Musanze District from Monday 26^th to 27^th June, 2023.

The Marrakesh Treaty is believed to be the most significant development in the lives of blind and visually impaired people since the invention of Braille, nearly 200 years ago as it brings with it the promise to remove the barriers that have hindered access to books in formats that can be read and accessed by persons with visual impairment and other with print disabilities who until now have been unable to access even the few books that are available in the country.

MT is a crucially important international treaty for persons with print disabilities who have for long struggled with access to books and knowledge. 

In Rwanda, after ratification of Marrakesh Treaty a number of actions were taken leading to the treaty implementation however, the benefits of the Treaty are not, as yet, being enjoyed by the beneficiaries (persons who are blind, visually impaired and those with other print disabilities).

There is therefore, a need for building the capacity of all those involved in the treaty implementation process for deliberate actions to accelerate the access, creation, distribution and exchange of accessible format copies of works published for the inclusion of persons with print disabilities in particular those with visual impairment in Rwanda.