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Bahraini Munira Bin Hindi has many things in her life to be proud of.
For instance, the wheelchair-bound campaigner is the first disabled woman to be nominated as a member of the Shura Council not only in Bahrain but the whole Arab world.
To top that, His Majesty King Hamad kissed her head on the day of the official appointment as a sign of respect and appreciation, which made her the first citizen in Bahrain to be kissed by His Majesty.
After more than 30 years working with the disabled, young and old, Ms Bin Hindi, is getting closer and closer to fulfilling her dreams and goal to help provide a better lifestyle for all disabled people in the kingdom.
"My gut feeling told me that soon I would be nominated to the Shura Council, especially after the phone call I received last year from the Royal Court asking me to send them my profile," said Ms Bin Hindi who is also Bahrain Mobility International (BMI) president.
"I believe that the government and officials in Bahrain must have acknowledged my contribution in the disabled field and sensed that after more than 30 years of experience I am ready to shoulder more responsibilities and be the voice for the disabled as well as able bodied people.
"Although my ambition was never to get a high government post, I have dedicated my life to serve the cause I believe in and that is providing better living standards for disabled men and women in Bahrain, be it in their own homes, schools, universities, or at work," she explained.
Ms Bin Hindi was crippled by polio at the age of one but her disability never stopped her from doing what she wanted.
"I was officially appointed as a Shura Council member in December last year. I received an invitation to attend the official celebration where His Majesty, Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and BDF Commander-in-Chief Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa received and welcomed all members at the Royal Court," she said.
"When my turn came to shake His Majesty's hand he came forward and kissed my head and told me 'today I am kissing the disabled cause'.
"I was shocked and overwhelmed at the same time and didn't know how to react to this honour. I think the whole crowd was shocked and later they all cheered for me.
"It is the first time in the history of our country where a King kisses a citizen, it is always the other way around."
Ms Bin Hindi said the memory of that day will never vanish from her mind.
"Many local and Arabic newspapers wrote about the event, it was really a big thing and I felt so emotional and overjoyed," she added.
"I was also the first disabled woman to be nominated a Shura member in the Arab world ... so you can imagine how proud and pleased I was with this appointment.
"It proved to be the first step towards enlightening the public about our needs. I found out that officials in the council office had to send instructions to build special ramps to enable me enter the main building.
"A special chair was also placed in the council to ease my movement."
Ms Bin Hindi said soon even those with hearing impairment will be able to understand what is going on during Shura sessions which are to be transmitted live on television.
"A special sign language instructor will be translating all the discussions going on in the sessions. That is our first real victory.
"My future plans are to amend some of the existing laws related to the disabled and make them more practical and realistic to our needs. I will also be meeting various ministers and officials in the government and discussing ways of improving their status," she said.
Ms Bin Hindi also vowed to meet heads of social and disabled societies to discuss their needs to enhance their services.
"I love my life and I love my disability, believe it or not, because without my disability I would have never understood the feelings of other disabled people and never become who I am today," she said.
"I have been in the disabled field for a very long time. I have worked alongside both mentally and physically disabled so I know about the obstacles we face, our fears, happiness, weaknesses and strengths.
"People must realise that the disabled are human beings too and should not be denied the right to do what they like and want in life," she said. "We should be treated equally and be allowed to practice and enjoy all our human rights."
Being an outcast makes the disabled feel punished for a crime they didn't commit.
"Some feel punished for something they did not do. I mean it is not their fault that they are built this way."
Ms Bin Hindi has an amazing family who supports her.
"Every person in my family has a role in my life. They all helped me and supported me to overcome my disability.
"My mother who cared for me all her life never allowed my disability to be an excuse and used to punish me when I was a child if I did something wrong," she said. "I liked the fact that I was treated equally like my brother, it used to make me feel good."
