Bangladesh has always wanted to not only be a prosperous country but an equitable one. For that, it is vital that those with disabilities are not left behind.

With Bangladesh successfully depositing instruments of its accession to the Marrakesh Treaty of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to facilitate access to published works for the blind, visually impaired, or people with print disabilities, Bangladesh became the 116th nation in the world to sign this agreement to improve the access to books and reading for the country’s people with disabilities.

The Ministry of Social Welfare and a2i previously jointly facilitated Multimedia Talking Book, developed an Accessible Dictionary, distributed Braille textbooks at the beginning of the academic year, and set up a specially designed ICT Lab for visually impaired students. These steps bring Bangladesh closer to attaining the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4) by 2030