(Chris Friend of World Blind Union at WIPO negotiations on copyright exceptions for disabilities. July 21, 2012.)

[Interviewer] Chris, I would ask you this question:
If you could speak directly to President Obama

about what you'd like him to do

between now and next Wednesday 
in terms of this negotiation,

or what you'd like his government to do,
what would you tell him?

[Chris Friend] President Obama, you have disability 
very much in your heart as an individual.

I know you have a disability desk
within the White House.

You have a very, very strong law, 
which the rest of the world looks to: the ADA.

Please use the influence of your office with your government

and make your government one of the
leading influences in this issue, here in Geneva.

Because we really have waited
nearly 30 years for this

and if we wait another year,

if we miss the General Assembly
in the first week in October,

another one million books
will be produced around the world

and they will not be accessible to us.

So the vision-impaired community and 
the other print-disabled community around the world

ask you sir, to answer,
to get your government at this very meeting 
taking place in this coming week,

to be forward and open and say
that you support the issue,

you will back the Treaty
along with all the other Member States,

so that progress can be made
within your first presidency.

Thank you.