improving education and employment outcomes for the visually impaired

by IP Australia

(Government)

img

ABC is an aid for trade-funded initiative for the production and distribution of educational material for visually impaired people in the Indo-Pacific.

Project implemented: 2014

Project goal

Improve educational and employment outcomes for visually impaired people in Indo-Pacific developing countries.

delivering on

why is this project important?

Australia is taking an international leadership role by showcasing how the use of aid for trade funding can directly improve the lives of the world’s most disadvantaged.

Key steps to make it happen

1Strategic partnerships

Partnering with Indo-Pacific not-for-profits to enable the production and distribution of accessible educational material.

2Skills capacity building

Training in the latest accessible book production techniques is provided to government and not-for-profit agencies.

impact to date

14,500 people who are print disabled positively impacted in Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam
Production of 478 educational accessible books in national languages in Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam have positively impacted an estimated 14,500 people who are print disabled.
36,500 people who are print disabled positively impacted in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka
Production of 2,574 educational access books in national languages in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka have positively impacted an estimated 36,500 people who are print disabled.
8 workshops
8 workshops held on accessible book production directly benefitting 48 female and 86 male participants in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
3,052 educational accessible books produced
Production of 3,052 educational accessible books for primary, secondary and university levels, in the national languages for Indonesia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
417 reading devices
Purchase of 417 reading devices (such as DAISY players or Android devices with text-to-speech software), which have been loaned or given to 218 female and 199 male beneficiaries, allowing them to read accessible materials.

Case study:

In Sri Lanka, the DAISY Lanka Foundation (DLF) is using innovative solutions to break down barriers for students who are print disabled in acquiring books.

With the support of the Accessible Books Consortium, DLF was able to convert over 1,000 educational books into accessible formats in one year, an incredible accomplishment considering that similar NGOs produced approximately 100-200 books over the same period.

The difference is due to the agreement by commercial publishers in Sri Lanka to provide the DAISY Lanka Foundation with the electronic files of previously produced books. Traditionally, charitable organisations and not-for-profits have had to scan every page of hard copy books using OCR technology and then edit the scanned files to make them accessible.

Alternatively, organisations have used human narrators to record audio books. Both of these processes are resource intensive. Using the original electronic files provided by commercial publishers enabled DLF to convert books into accessible formats more efficiently and economically.

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is an aid for trade initiative between the Australian Government and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) that directly improves the educational and employment outcomes for visually impaired people in developing countries.

ABC provides training and technical assistance in the production and distribution of books in accessible formats by partnering with established, local not-for-profits in the Indo-Pacific region. ABC directly provides funding for the production of accessible educational materials in national languages at the primary, secondary and university levels.

The ABC seeks to ensure that the objectives of the landmark Marrakesh VIP Treaty become a practical reality on the ground. The Marrakesh VIP Treaty, which Australia has ratified, sets out the legal framework that makes possible both the production, as well as the transfer, of accessible books across national boundaries, in national languages. It has a clear humanitarian and social development dimension and its main goal is to create copyright legislation for the benefit of people who are blind, visually impaired or print disabled.

related projects

National Youth Summit by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Australia/Pacific
ChildFund Easy2Learn by ChildFund Australia
My Green Butler by Crystal Creek Meadows
World Summit Awards (WSA) – Australia by World Summit Awards (WSA) – Australia
Inclusion Support Programme (ISP) by Australian Government Department of Education and Training
ANZ SDG Bond by Australia New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ)
SDG National Forum by Fatouma TOURE
SDG Toolkit for Systems Thinking and Collaborative Approache... by Australian Council for International Development
Applying SDGs – Determining Socio-Economic Indicators ... by Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria
Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) Program by Department of Education and Training
Global goals for local communities by Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA)
Feeding the Performance of Regional Communities by International Convention Centre Sydney
ICT for Social Impact Project in India by Swinburne Business School
We’re all in this Together by Healthy Cities Illawarra (HCI) and University of Wollongong (UOW)
Thriving Communities Partnership by Thriving Communities Partnership
Green Star by Green Building Council of Australia
Willing to Work by Australian Human rights Commission
Fair food farm by Green Connect
Vision Initiative by Vision 2020 Australia
Adult literacy schools in PNG by Anglican Board of Mission
Anti-Racism: It Stops with me campaign by Australian Human Rights Commission
Environmental Sustainability and Innovation by Konica Minolta Business Solutions Australia Pty Ltd
Young Farming Champions by Picture You in Agriculture
Economic empowerment for women in Tanzania by Australian Volunteers program
The ocean, our future: an Ocean Decade program by Australian National Maritime Museum
E.S. P. Wool production by Kia Ora Merino
by Junction
5000 Meals Program by Prepare Produce Provide
Green Star – Communities by Green Building Council of Australia
Promoting the Advancement of Women Everywhere by Konica Minolta Business Solutions Australia Pty Ltd
Women in MBA (WiMBA) by Sydney Business School, University of Wollongong
Addressing the social determinants of injury by The George Institute for Global Health
The Individual Deprivation Measure Global Program by Individual Deprivation Measure
Achieving gender balance in water utilities by Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA)
creating the capacity for people to invest space with meanin... by Place Agency at the University of Melbourne
Sustainable Fashion by Restyle Closet
Renewable Energy in the Water Industry by Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA)
International Legal Training Program by McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer
Delivering sustainable development through infrastructure by Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA)
Building & Protecting Mental Health by Growing With Gratitude
Business & Sustainability Forum Series by United Nations Association of Australia (WA)
Kwale Cotton Project by Business for Development
University Commitment to the SDGs by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Australia/Pacific
#SeaToSource by Conservation Volunteers Australia
Economic independence on traditional land by Indigenous Business Australia
Fighting hunger in australia by Foodbank Australia
Barangaroo South by Lendlease
Wanzauni Livelihoods Improvement Project by Anglican Board of Mission
Getting started with the SDGs in Universities by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Australia/Pacific
It’s Our Place – Bellambi by Australian Social Investment Trust
Northconnex by Transurban
Tropical Sustainable Design by Tropical Urbanism and Design Lab (TUDLab), James Cook University
English Language Learning for Indigenous Children by Australian Government Department of Education and Training
Financial Inclusion Action Plan by Good Shepherd Microfinance
Spatial data infrastructure to help monitor and evaluate Aus... by AURIN – Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network
Strong Women. Strong Business by Indigenous Business Australia
Strengthening Multi-stakeholder partnering by The Partnership Brokers Group
Australian Marine Debris Initiative by Tangaroa Blue Foundation
17 SDGs in 2018 – a year of awareness raising activiti... by United Nations Association Victoria and Deakin University
Day At The Zoo by City West Water
Applying SDGs – Determining Socio-Economic Indicators ... by Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Victoria
Get the experience and training you need to find a job by Department of Jobs and Small Business
Circular Economy Design Sprint by The Common Purpose Collective
Cooling the planet to feed the World by PundaZoie Company Pty. Ltd.
Transforming Australia: SDG Progress Report by National Sustainable Development Council

Does your organisation have a project to include?