Disabled rights

Awatif Akbari, 33, has a Master's degree in public administration and has won numerous awards in her career as an education manager. Yet her bank will not allow her to withdraw large sums of money from her savings account without her father's signature. Her complaint is that the bank is treating her like a child. The reason? Ms Akbari is blind. Banks and other institutions that have discriminatory rules are being increasingly challenged by disabled people. In Britain, the Disability Discrimination Act requires that disabled groups have equal access to goods and services. There is a similar movement towards equal rights here, which should be enshrined in a legally binding guarantee.

Disabled people like Ms Akbari have overcome enormous obstacles in gaining an education and an occupation. They fully deserve their rights as independent adults.