TORONTO - The federal government says Canadians who are blind or have difficulty reading published works will soon have a lot more to read.

A senior government source says Industry Minister James Moore will announce in Toronto today that Canada will join the Marrakesh Treaty, which is designed to make more reading materials available.

The source says it means Canadians who can't read printed material or computer screens will have improved access to literature from around the world in a variety of languages.

It will also mean more opportunities to import and export accessible versions of books -- the government estimates it amounts to 285,000 adapted works from 13 countries, in more than 55 languages.

Currently Canadians who are blind or suffer from conditions like dyslexia have difficulty obtaining textbooks or online resources in a format that's accessible.

Statistics Canada figures indicate 35 per cent of visually impaired students discontinued their education because of their condition, and about one-third of Canadians with a visual impairment are not in the labour force.