The Access Circle – August 2026

Welcome 

Dear Round Table members and supporters, 

We hope you’re continuing to enjoy the newsletter, and we’d really value your thoughts on what you’d like to see more – or less – of in future editions. If you have feedback, or something you’d like to contribute, please feel free to get in touch at [email protected]. 

While the Executive Committee usually meets monthly on Zoom, next week we’ll be gathering at NextSense in Sydney for our two‑day annual face‑to‑face meeting. It’s always a highlight of the year and a great chance for us to come together and think about the direction of the Round Table’s work in 2027 and beyond. If you have ideas about our future activities, that’s another perfect reason to reach out. 

In this issue: 

• Braille Readers: Out of Sight, Out of Mind? 

• Marrakesh Treaty Assembly Kicks Off 10th Anniversary Celebrations at WIPO 

• The Round Table Endorses Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education 

• Master PDF-to-Accessible-Book Conversion with Fido 

• ANZAGG Monthly Meetings 

Francois Jacobs  

Consumer Representative  

News Roundup 

Braille Readers: Out of Sight, Out of Mind? 

Blind Citizens Australia published an article by Aasha Rose and Jodie Lea Martire on braille readers in Australia. They argue that they are effectively invisible in official data – no government body, education department, or blindness organisation can say how many people actually read braille, with the last real estimate dating to a 1986 study, while the authors’ own research using library borrower numbers suggests a current figure above 700. The authors contend this data gap has real consequences: it left braille unmentioned in the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendations (unlike Deaf/Auslan communities, which are tracked and planned for), and it reinforces the misconception that braille is niche or outdated. They propose three fixes – capturing tactile literacy needs early through the Australian Early Development Census, adding braille use to existing Nationwide Collection of Data on School Students with Disability school data, and including braille-related questions in the National Census – as first steps toward making braille readers statistically visible and better supported. 

Marrakesh Treaty Assembly Kicks Off 10th Anniversary Celebrations at WIPO 

The Marrakesh Treaty Assembly convened at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on 13 July 2026, opening a year of celebrations marking the tenth anniversary of the Marrakesh Treaty’s entry into force. Monica Halil Lövblad, Head of the Accessible Books Consortium, presented the 2026 Report of the Accessible Books Consortium, and highlighted ABC’s key activities in implementing the objectives of the Treaty. You can read more about the event and the ABC’s areas of focus on the ABC website.  

The Round Table Endorses Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education 

The Round Table has endorsed the Global Declaration on Braille Literacy in Education, a joint initiative of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and the World Blind Union (WBU). 

Grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Declaration affirms braille literacy as a fundamental human right and a core component of inclusive education. It calls on governments, education systems, institutions, and communities to ensure equitable access to quality braille instruction, accessible learning materials, trained teachers, and assistive technology for blind and low-vision learners. 

The Declaration also links braille literacy to progress on Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). ICEVI and WBU welcome further endorsements from organisations and individuals worldwide.  

Upcoming Events 

Master PDF-to-Accessible-Book Conversion with Fido 

Announcement from DAISY Consortium – Online training “Master PDF-to-Accessible-Book Conversion with “Fido” 

We are excited to launch our upcoming online training program on Fido, the innovative AI-powered companion tool from DAISY Labs! Short for Files In, Documents Out, Fido uses artificial intelligence to handle the heavy lifting of accessible publishing – helping you convert tricky PDFs, generate draft image descriptions, analyse heading structures, and write book metadata in a fraction of the time. 

This hands-on training is designed to turn days of tedious formatting into hours of highly efficient work. 

Training at a Glance 

• Format: Self-paced online course supported by 3 live online sessions (1 session per week). 

• Duration: 3 weeks. 

• Goal: Master Fido’s workflow to cleanly convert image-only or searchable PDFs into structured, accessible formats like Word or EPUB. 

 Week-by-Week Roadmap 

• Week 1: Setup & Smarter PDF Conversions 

Learn to install Fido, configure your AI services (using API keys or local models), and execute clean PDF-to-Word/EPUB conversions. 

• Week 2: Automated Image Descriptions & Language Tags 

Dive into Fido’s powerful image-handling tools. Learn to generate draft alt-text for complex graphics and use AI to auto-detect and tag multi-language text. 

• Week 3: Refining Structure, Metadata, & Final Export 

Use AI to sweep for missing heading levels, automatically generate accurate book metadata, and finalize your files for distribution. 

Why You Should Attend 

If you produce, remediate, or convert documents for readers with print disabilities, Fido acts as your ultimate assistant. While it is not a magic wand – it is designed for a “human-in-the-loop” workflow – it provides a massive shortcut to accelerate your book production. 

Please choose the batch that best suits your time zone and schedule: 

• UTC 2:00 PM (Starts 10 August) 

• UTC 5:00 AM (Starts 10 August) 

Online Registration Form Link: https://forms.gle/FjN3jkkbKdKYMT5t8   

On behalf of Mr Dipendra Manocha, Daisy Consortium 

Member Matters 

ANZAGG Monthly Meetings 

A quick reminder of the Australia and New Zealand Accessible Graphics Group (ANZAGG) 3D printing group regular monthly meetings for people interested in 3D printing for touch readers and non-visual methods for 3D printing.  

Our upcoming meeting topics are:  

• 19 August: Michael Cantino (Blind and Low Vision Technology Specialist, Oregon public schools) will share some technical aspects of 3D printing and designing for touch 

• 15 September: Tamara O’Callaghan (Professor at Northern Kentucky University) will share some of her innovative student projects using 3D printing for touch accessibility 

New members are always welcome, and all meetings include time for self-introductions, asking questions and sharing your latest makes. Please contact [email protected]  

Thank you for reading this edition of The Access Circle, and we invite you to forward it on to others who might benefit from our news and work. We welcome news items from across the Round Table community, including new technology making a difference or events readers may be interested in attending. Please submit items of up to 400 words by the end of the month to [email protected] for consideration in the next newsletter.