SA CONCOURT OPENS DOOR TO ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN COPYRIGHT CASE

"In its landmark ruling on 7 May 2025, the Constitutional Court has opened the doors to access to information and accessible formats for people with disabilities.  It has also paved the way for South Africa to ratify the 2013 Marrakesh Treaty.

For decades, Blind SA has been lobbying against the ‘book famine’ and lack of provisions for blind and visually impaired persons in the current copyright law.  This discrimination has gravely affected their social and economic development, education, work and leisure opportunities and other aspects of their lives, including lack of equal access to reading material that sighted persons have taken for granted.  The law has in fact made copying and reuse of copyright work in accessible formats illegal, without permission from rightsholders, essentially criminalising people for needing to access information."