Hindu nation page:
Disability rights groups oppose changes to Copyright Act
Aarti Dhar
NEW DELHI: Disability rights groups are up in arms against a Bill proposing an
amendment to the Copyright Act, 1952, that prevents non-governmental
organisations, educational institutions and persons with disabilities from
converting reading material including textbooks and reference material into
audio, digital and other formats that can be used by differently-abled persons.
The amendment Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha this week, if passed in its
current form, will prevent over 70 million people with disabilities in India,
including persons with visual impairment, dyslexia, and cerebral palsy, from
exercising their Right to Education and other fundamental rights, according to
the National Access Alliance, a group of organisations and leading
professionals working for the benefit of the print-disabled in India.
Licensing procedure
The extremely "cumbersome, restrictive and lengthy" licensing procedure
proposed by the government for conversion to these formats will mean that
students with print disabilities will be deprived of their Right to Education
which has now become a fundamental right.
Members of the Alliance have been campaigning for the amendment to be re-worded
to ensure that the conversion of books into all formats is allowed, all
stakeholders, including organisations, educational institutions and persons
with disabilities, are allowed to undertake the conversion; and the conversion
should not be subject to red tape which will lead to delay. The campaigners had
met Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal who assured them that the
interests of persons with disabilities would be addressed. However, the
amendment proposed by the Minister does more harm than good, Rahul Cherian and
Nirmita Narasimhan, both members of the Alliance, told The Hindu.
Seeking support
The Alliance is now meeting members of Parliament from across the political
parties to seek support. The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left parties and the
Nationalist Congress Party have already extended support to them and assured
that their cause would be taken up.
According to CPI (M) MP Brinda Karat, the present amendment lacked concern for
the disabled people. "Their cause is genuine and it needs to be addressed," she
told The Hindu, adding that the matter would be taken up once the Bill comes to
the Standing Committee.
Members of the Alliance will continue their nationwide mass mobilisation for
the cause to bring more attention to the plight of persons with print
disabilities in relation to the lack of reading material in accessible formats.
Regards
"Perhaps our role on this planet is not to worship God-- but to create Him."
--Arthur C. Clarke
(Rajesh Asudani)
Assistant General Manager,
Reserve Bank of India
Nagpur
09420397185
O: 0712 2806676
Res: 0712 2591349
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