Nawaal Akram
Founder, Equal Access
Nawaal Akram is a consultant and disability rights campaigner. She was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when she was 6, and started using a wheelchair six years later. At the age of 10, Nawaal was denied rights to an education because of her physical disability, and in the years since she has strived to advocate for the rights of education for people with disabilities in Qatar and MENA region.
In 2016, Founded the #EqualAccess initiative that aims to spread awareness about the rights and needs of persons with disabilities and promote equal access and treatment for all.
She was awarded for her work by BBC Worldwide as one of the 100 most influential women in the world in 2017.