Making IP Work WIPO decides (so far) to stick with squirrellynumbers on Marrakesh Treaty

The WIPO brochure Making IP Work on page 4 contains the statement:

Making copyright work for visually impaired people

Of the million books published each year in the world, less than fiveper cent are currently available in formats accessible to blind orvisually impaired people such as Braille or digitized audio versions.That is set to change: In Marrakesh in 2013 WIPO s member statesadopted a new international treaty that will boost access to books forthe 340 million people around the world with visual impairments orother print disabilities. (My italics/emphasis).

http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/freepublications/en/general/1060/wipo_pub_1060.pdf

The Marrakesh Treaty as adopted JUN 2013 contains the followingdefinition for Beneficiary Persons

Article 3: A beneficiary person is a person who:

(a) is blind;

(b) has a visual impairment or a perceptual or reading disability whichcannot be improved to give visual function substantially equivalent tothat of a person who has no such impairment or disability and so isunable to read printed works to substantially the same degree as aperson without an impairment or disability; or

(c) is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to hold or manipulatea book or to focus or move the eyes to the extent that would be normallyacceptable for reading;

regardless of any other disabilities.

The following Twitter exchange took place end of FEB 2014:

WIPO @WIPO Jan 23

New brochure: WIPO - Making IP Work (link as above)

john e miller @travel_brl Feb 27

@WIPO #WIPO 340 mm worldwide w/ visual impairments or otherprint disabilities; WBU: 285 mm blind or partially sighted; So only 55mm other?

WIPO @WIPO Feb 27

@travel_brl Thanks for pointing this out. We will look into this andrevise the numbers, as necessary.

There is a WIPO references to that 340 million figure going back to OCT2010 in a WIPO Press Release where it states:

It is estimated that only 5% of the worlds one million print titles thatare published every year are accessible to the some 340 millionaround the world who are blind, visually impaired or who live withother print disabilities.

but it does not mention the source of that 340 million estimate.

http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2010/article_0043.html

Indeed, even the US White House Press Release upon the adoption of theMarrakesh Treaty states that:

Today we mark another important achievement for equal rights, thistime for over a million Americans and over 340 million peopleworldwide who are blind, visually impaired, or with other printdisabilities.

without any reference to the source of that figure.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/28/landmark-treaty-visually-impaired

The World Health Organization (WHO) comprehensive Report on Disabilitymakes no specific reference to that 340 million figure.

http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/

While I realize the difficulties in editing a brochure which has gone-to-press,based on the following information some of which I followed up with shortTwitter-type references that 340 million figure may not be realistic.

The main page of the World Blind Union the primary sponsor of theMarrakesh Treaty contains the statement:

The World Blind Union (WBU) is the global organizationrepresenting the estimated 285 million people worldwide whoare blind or partially sighted. Members are organizations of andfor the blind in 190 countries, as well as internationalorganizations working in the field of vision impairment.

http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/Pages/default.aspx

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in its response to theUK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Consultation stated the following:

RNIB (therefore) supports a broad definition along the lines of theRight to Read Alliance definition of print impairment, i.e. which coversthe estimated one in eight of us who cannot read standard print dueto sight problems, dyslexia, or a disability which makes it difficult forus to hold a book or turn a page.

http://www.ipo.gov.uk/response-2011-copyright-rnib.pdf

Similarly, the US-based Reading Rights Coalition on its website main pagestates the following:

People with print disabilities cannot effectively read print because ofa visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive, or learningdisability.

We represent 15 million 30 million Americans who cannot read printbecause of blindness, dyslexia, spinal cord injury, and other printdisabilities. We include school children, the elderly, professionals,college students, returning veterans, and your neighbors, familymembers and friends. We want to buy books. We have fought veryhard for many years to have equal access to technology andinformation.

http://readingrights.org/

Mr. Jim Fruchterman, Founder of Benetech/Bookshare, in testimony to theUS House Judiciary Committee 01AUG2013, made the following commentafter noting that Bookshare is the worlds largest online library forpeople with disabilities like blindness and dyslexia that interfere withreading print.:

While tens of thousands of our members are blind or visuallyimpaired, the majority of our members are dyslexic.

We also serve people who are unable to interact effectively withprinted books because of a physical disability, such as cerebral palsy,a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury.

http://benetech.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Congressional-Testimonty-Statement-of-Jim-Fruchterman-Benetech-08-01-2013.pdf

An estimate of incidence for dyslexia mentions that:

Conservative estimates vary between 5 and 10 per cent of thepopulation. No correlation has been found between the incidence ofdyslexia and nationality, income, ethnicity, race, or IQ, and expertsare even beginning to question whether it is more common amongboys than girls. It has a genetic component.

http://dyslexia.org/dyslexia.shtml#who_has

So whats going on here with these numbers in my opinion may be simple:

In order to generate more support from national, local, or othergovernments & institutions, it is in the interest of those committed toimproving the lives of persons with print-related disabilities to emphasizethe significant component of the population who fall into that category.

However, when it comes to ratifying a treaty as to who might be qualified toreceive exemption from copyright infringement and to thus be eligible toreceive copies of published works in accessible format without thepermission of or compensation to the publisher and/or copyright owner,then it is in the interest of those who support ratification of the MarrakeshTreaty to emphasize what a low component of the overall population wouldactually enjoy such privileges.