Accessibility features must be embedded in production workflows from inception, not retrofitted as compliance afterthoughts.

A recent (December 2025) WIPO workshop in Port of Spain has intensified focus on accessible publishing across the Caribbean, with industry leaders warning that accessibility is shifting from voluntary practice to contractual obligation.

The gathering of professionals from 13 Caribbean nations highlighted both the moral imperatives and emerging commercial realities facing educational publishers in the region.

Dr. Wayne Wesley, CEO of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), delivered a clear message to publishers: accessibility must become a “non-negotiable standard.”

CXC has announced that all future contractual arrangements with publishers will mandate the production of accessible digital formats – a development that signals a fundamental shift in procurement requirements across the region’s education sector.

Jamaica’s Journey: From Consumer to Producer

The workshop featured Conrad Harris, Executive Director of the Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB), whose personal narrative illustrated the longstanding content gap facing Caribbean students with print disabilities. Born blind in rural Jamaica, Harris recalls spending hours in his school library consuming encyclopedias imported from the United States, whilst local Jamaican content remained largely inaccessible.

Harris’s experience reflects a broader regional challenge. Despite Jamaica acceding to the Marrakesh Treaty in May 2024, Jamaica remain at an early stage of producing local accessible materials.

The JSB is now receiving training from WIPO’s Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) to transition from content consumer to producer, with plans to join the ABC Global Book Service catalogue – which now exceeds one million accessible titles.

Trinidad and Tobago Leads Regional Implementation

The National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) has emerged as the Caribbean’s pioneer, becoming the first authorised entity in the region to produce accessible educational textbooks through ABC training and support.

NALIS’s designation as an authorised entity under the Marrakesh Treaty enables cross-border exchange of accessible format copies, positioning Trinidad and Tobago as a potential hub for regional content distribution.

The Ratification Gap

But many Caribbean countries have yet to even ratify the Marrakesh Treaty, let alone implement it. Barbados acceded in February 2023, whilst Saint Kitts and Nevis joined in 2024 alongside Jamaica.

The View From The Beach

The workshop revealed growing coordination between intellectual property offices and disability service organisations – a convergence that suggests regulatory frameworks will tighten. For publishers operating in Caribbean markets, the trajectory is clear: accessibility features must be embedded in production workflows from inception, not retrofitted as compliance afterthoughts.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.