Geoff Adams-Spink BBC News Online disability affairs reporter

Digby Jones wants a more inclusive approach

CBI director-general Digby Jones has told businesses to be "socially inclusive" and not to miss out on the estimated �50bn that disabled people spend each year.

Mr Jones was speaking at a conference organised by the CBI and the Disability Rights Commission to highlight the changes that all businesses will need to make before the law changes in October this year.

It's about making your services accessible Jenny White, DRC

Part 3 of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act will require enterprises like shops, restaurants, health clubs, dentists and supermarkets to become more user-friendly to the UK's 8.6m disabled people.

Improvements will include adapting premises, removing physical barriers or providing services in an alternative way.

"It makes sense for businesses - especially those who don't feel that they can accommodate these statutory requirements - to do this," Mr Jones told BBC News Online.

"Actually there's an enormous market out there of disabled people.

"All we're saying is, come on businesses, don't just do it because the law says do it, do it because it's good sense and it's the right thing to do."

Extra help

Lawyer and DRC commissioner, Jenny White, said there was a tendency to over-concentrate on wheelchair users when it came to making adjustments.

"All the other things that the law requires you to do - particularly in the area of providing extra help - are equally as important because the Act is not about making your premises accessible, it's about making your services accessible."

She told the audience at the CBI's London headquarters to think about the 'three A's' - anticipate, ask and audit.

In spite of attempts to publicise the new obligations, recent government research showed that fewer than half of businesses surveyed were aware of the impending changes.

M & S emphasises good lighting and clear signage

But not all companies are waiting to see what will happen in October: delegates heard from Barry Stevenson, retail director at Marks & Spencer, whose planning for the changes dates back to 1998.

As well as the physical changes to improve access to M & S stores, Mr Stevenson said staff training was a key component in the company's approach.

"It's the people that make the difference to the service experience," he said.

"You'll get the full benefits by training your people and making sure they understand why things are being done and what benefit it has to them and to your customers."

The company is putting around 60,000 staff through a disability awareness programme.

Accessible beautiful game

It is not just access to retail outlets that will be affected by the new laws.

A disabled player gets a piece of the action

The Football Association's Nic Coward stressed that the organisation was keen to welcome disabled people - be it as players or as spectators.

"We want to make sure that everyone can access football," he said.

"We run six England national teams for various disabled groups."

"We want to create an awareness, an expectation and an understanding amongst the whole population that there is this ability for players to represent England, ultimately in the World Cup."

The FA has seven hundred disability football coaches at county level and is now creating higher level coaching to enable players to reach national squads.

Bad access is bad for business DRC chairman Bert Massie

The association is also actively encouraging clubs to make their grounds accessible to disabled fans.

"The experience for those with hearing difficulties has changed as we've got greater access to high quality audio equipment."

And the FA now has databases of disabled fans so that they no longer have to state their requirements each time they attend a match.

Mr Coward singled out Derby County as having significantly improved access to its stadium.

DRC chairman Bert Massie reminded business leaders not to miss out on the "access cash bonanza".