WIPO’s Accessible Books Consortium Announces New Partnership with Tata Consultancy Services

Tata Consulting Services (TCS) and WIPO have agreed to collaborate towards bringing the TCS Access Infinity platform to Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) partner libraries in developing and least developed countries. The platform is a library management system developed specifically for libraries that serve persons that are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print-disabled. 

TCS has long been committed to the promotion of inclusivity and accessibility. By working with WIPO and building on ABC’s unique positioning in the field, we look forward to expanding this platform to more countries for a larger social impact. We are thrilled to embark on this new partnership with WIPO and ABC.

Dr. Charudatta Jadhav, Principal Scientist and Head of Accessibility Research and Innovation at TCS, and President, International Braille Chess Association

Through this landmark agreement, ABC will be able to propose this versatile platform, free of charge, to its partner libraries, known as Authorized Entities, in developing and least-developed countries across the globe in the coming years. The TCS-WIPO collaboration is set to drive significant change, equipping libraries to better serve their patrons, thereby contributing to ABC’s goal of increasing the number of books worldwide in accessible formats and to making them available to people who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.

“We are very thankful for TCS’ partnership,” said Ms. Monica Halil Lövblad, Head of ABC. “Our partner libraries in developing and least developed countries face a wide range of challenges—our hope is that by offering an adapted solution for managing their operations, we can alleviate some of the difficulties they face every day and we can get more accessible books into the hands of people who are print disabled.”

TCS Access Infinity offers a range of advanced features such as managing patrons, cataloguing, and facilitating real-time format conversions. The platform also ensures various methods of book delivery, including live streaming, thus optimizing accessibility for users irrespective of geographical or logistical constraints.

Background

According to a 2017 study published in The Lancet, approximately 253 million people are blind or visually impaired world-wide. Nearly 90% of these are resident in developing countries, where the World Blind Union (WBU) estimates that people who are blind have only a one in ten chance of going to school or getting a job. A lack of accessible books remains a very real barrier to getting an education and leading an independent, productive life.

About ABC

The Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) is a public-private partnership led by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that brings together all of the key players – organizations representing people who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled, authors, publishers, collective management organizations, libraries and other authorized entities, as well as standards bodies. ABC was established in June 2014 to implement the goals of the Marrakesh Treaty. Through an effective international alliance of relevant state and non-state actors, ABC seeks to increase, and distribute, the number of books worldwide in accessible formats - such as braille, audio, e-text and large print.

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ABOUT TCS

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 55 years. Its consulting-led, cognitive powered, portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 614,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $27.9 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, and is listed on the BSE and the NSE in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index

About WIPO

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 193 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society's evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it provides free access to unique knowledge banks of IP information.