National Federation of the Blind Celebrates Ratification of Marrakesh Treaty
In Geneva, Switzerland, on February 8 the United States government formalized its ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty by depositing the US instrument of ratification with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This action begins a ninety-day waiting period, after which the treaty will officially be in force as US policy, throwing open the doors to expanded literacy for the blind of America and the world.
“The National Federation of the Blind seeks the removal of all artificial or unnecessary barriers to access to knowledge by the blind,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “That is why we championed the Marrakesh Treaty and fought for its signing and ratification by the United States. Today’s deposit of the US ratification instrument represents the culmination of that effort, but even more importantly, it represents greater access to the world’s literature and knowledge for blind people in America and across the world. We are therefore pleased to celebrate this historic moment with our blind brothers and sisters everywhere.”
Read more regarding the Marrakesh Treaty in the following articles:
- "Marrakesh Express Rolling Home"
- "US House of Representatives Passes Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act"
- "United States Senate Greenlights Marrakesh Treaty and Implementing Legislation"
- "Senate Committee Votes to Advance Marrakesh Treaty"
- "The National Federation of the Blind Applauds the Introduction of Legislation Implementing the Marrakesh Treaty"
NFB Launches New Website
The NFB recently launched its new website, which is still located at nfb.org. The update was based on extensive research, including a content audit and focus-group testing among key membership groups. The new website will:
- Reflect who we are in an authentic and powerful way;
- Increase participation, support, and engagement from current members, prospective members, and the public;
- Be the gold standard for web accessibility; and
- Showcase updated content and navigation, along with a new modern design.
You can read more about the new design and features in our recent blog post.