Visual impairment should not deny victims equal participation, inclusion, access to knowledge acquired through reading, the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) has sued. This position was contained in a statement offered by the NCC director-general, Dr. John Asein on the occasion of White Cane Day 2026.
The inability to read conventional print, he maintained, should never become a barrier to education, research, professional advancement, creativity or participation in our cultural and intellectual life.
The theme for this year’s White Cane Day is “Promoting Independence, Inclusion and Equal Access for Persons Who Are Blind”.
The full statement below:
“The Nigerian Copyright Commission joins blind, visually impaired and otherwise print-disabled persons in Nigeria and across the world in commemorating White Cane Day 2026.
“This year’s theme, ‘Promoting Independence, Inclusion and Equal Access for Persons Who Are Blind,’ is a timely reminder that the white cane is not only a mobility aid, but also a symbol of dignity, independence and the right to participate fully in society.
“For the Commission, equal participation must include equal access to knowledge. The inability to read conventional print should never become a barrier to education, research, professional advancement, creativity or participation in our cultural and intellectual life.
“The Copyright Act, 2022, particularly section 26, provides an important legal framework for addressing this challenge and gives effect to the principles of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. It permits the production and supply of accessible-format copies for beneficiary persons through authorised entities, subject to appropriate safeguards, and facilitates lawful cross-border exchange of such works.
“The task before us is therefore to move decisively from legal provisions to practical access. To this end, the Commission is advancing the establishment of a National Accessible Book Portal as a major instrument for operationalising the provisions of the Copyright Act. The Portal is envisaged as a trusted national platform for identifying and facilitating access to books and other works available in accessible formats.
“It will support authorised entities, improve the discoverability of accessible works, reduce unnecessary duplication and promote collaboration among authors, publishers, libraries, educational institutions, organisations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders.
“Importantly, the Portal is also intended to build trust across the copyright ecosystem. Authors, publishers and other right holders should have confidence that accessible-format copies will be produced and used transparently and in accordance with the law. At the same time, authorised entities and beneficiary persons should have a clear, efficient and predictable system through which accessible works can be identified and lawfully obtained.
“The Commission also calls on authors and publishers to become active partners in expanding access. Books should, wherever practicable, be made available in accessible formats, rather than leaving persons with print disabilities to depend solely on subsequent conversion under statutory exceptions.
“More importantly, the publishing industry should increasingly embrace the principle of “born accessible” publishing by designing and producing books and digital publications from the outset in formats compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. This should become part of good publishing practice, not an afterthought.
“The Commission’s current initiatives build upon its longstanding “Let the Blind Read” campaign and its continuing engagement with organisations of blind persons, authors, publishers, libraries, educational institutions, technology providers and development partners. No child should be disadvantaged because a textbook is inaccessible and no one should be excluded from knowledge because they read differently.
“Once again, on this White Cane Day we call on everyone to Let the Blind Read”.
