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

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

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about what you'd like him to do

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between now and next Wednesday 
in terms of this negotiation,

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

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

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

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

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Please use the influence of your office with your government

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

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Because we really have waited
nearly 30 years for this

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and if we wait another year,

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

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another one million books
will be produced around the world

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and they will not be accessible to us.

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

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

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

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

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so that progress can be made
within your first presidency.

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Thank you.