
Exceptions for visually impaired people
Under the Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act 2002, accessible copies may be made of copyrighted works in certain circumstances without the explicit permission of the copyright holder(s).
A single copy may be made available for personal use if:
- the visually impaired person has lawful possession or use of an original copyrighted work (in other words, owns their own copy or has access to a copy in the University Library)
- an accessible version is not already commercially available
Multiple copies may be made available for educational use if:
- the University has lawful possession of a commerically published work or edition (in other words, owns their own copy in the University Library or has access to a copy from another Library)
- an accessible version is not already commercially available
If any charge is made for any copying, this must not exceed the cost of copying and supplying the material. The copy must bear an acknowledgement of the copyright holder(s) and a statement that it has been made under Section 31A of the Copyright (Visually Impaired Persons) Act. Copies made may be returned to and stored by the University for future use by visually impaired persons. Records must be kept and made available to copyright holder(s).
For full details, including exceptions and limitations, see the Act itself.
Please contact the University Disability service on 0141 273 1371 or disability@gcu.ac.uk for further information or to request accessible copies.
Content used by permission of ©Newcastle University library Guides. This page is not covered by a creative commons license, please contant them directly for permission to reuse.