I refer to your report 'Teenager's fight to lead a normal life' (March 1).

First of all the National Commission for People with a Disability (KNPD) would like to congratulate Ms Magri for having the courage and spirit to speak out and advocate changes which would not only benefit the community of disabled people in Malta. Improved access to the open and built environment would also improve the quality of life of elderly people and others who experience mobility problems due to parenting (for example, using pushchairs) or because of their particular jobs (for example, carrying packages or heavy bags).

Secondly, KNPD is very appreciative of the fact that The Sunday Times chose to follow up Ms Magri's letter with an article which further highlighted the plight of wheelchair users, especially youngsters, who only want to enjoy their life to the maximum extent possible, like their non-disabled peers.

While the report was balanced and sensitively written, I would like to clarify some small points. When I was interviewed I explained that since Malta's anti-discriminatory legislation, the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act, came into force in 2000, buildings built prior to that date had no legal obligation to abide by 'Access for All' requirements. But, this does not mean that they are exempt from the law.

If the owners apply for a major refurbishment, then they are obliged to put access for all arrangements into effect. Furthermore, if a complaint is lodged against the building's owners on the basis of inaccessibility, then KNPD is legally bound to, reasonably, follow up that complaint and attempt to achieve full - or at least, maximum - compliance.

Ms Magri's initiative is precisely the sort of direct action we would like to see more disabled people take. Frequently, it is KNPD's lone voice which lodges complaints, lobbies for changes and insists on standards being met. When disabled people, like Ms Magri, speak out it helps the public to understand that the usual advocates for change, like KNPD, are not isolated extremists. Therefore, we encourage more disabled people to follow Ms Magri's example and bring to light their own experiences and recommendations for improvement.

May I also point out that KNPD will be following up the issues raised by Ms Magri to ensure that disabled people truly enjoy equality of opportunities at par with people without disability. In fact, KNPD's 'Design for All' approach to development is encapsulated in our slogan for 2009, which is: 'Access for All, Success for All'.