SUPERMARKETS, including Bradford-based Morrisons, have been praised by disability campaigner Simon Weston for their positive approach towards employing disabled people.

The Falklands veteran was in Bradford speaking at an event to encourage more businesses to recruit disabled people.

The former Welsh Guardsman said that major strides had been made in society's attitude to disabled people in the 32 years since he was severely burned during the Falklands War.

Speaking during yesterday's event at City Hall, he said more needed to be done, especially to help young disabled people.

"One of the biggest changes is that the stigma of disability has reduced massively, helped significantly by the success of disabled sports men and women. They have proved that disabled people simply can do. They can think, can compete; they just can.

"There's been a sea change in recent years and companies such as the big supermarkets, including Morrisons, and companies such as Barclays bank are doing a good job but it's a big area and more needs to be done.

"Young people in particular need more support. They're often told to get out there and shoot for the moon but when they try to get a job they may as well shoot for the duckpond as there's nothing for them.

"What we have to look at is ability. There's so much ability out there that's being lost and wasted. That's why events such as this are necessary to encourage more employers to adopt a positive attitude to taking on people with disabilities or disfigurement, " he said.

Mr Weston urged employers to be more open minded about taking on disabled candidates and not worry about the cost as the Government had a mountain of unspent grants to help them adapt their operations to suit disabled staff .

The Building Disability Confidence event was staged by Barclays bank and the Bradford Strategic Disability Partnership.

Elaine Draper, Barclays accessibility and inclusion director, said the bank had made significant advances in encouraging disabled employment and increasing accessibility for customers with disabilities, but still had a long way to go along the journey.

" We've set set ourselves the ambition to be the most accessible and inclusive bank," she said.

Steven Burles, managing director of Keighley-based marketing agency Puddle Digital, told the conference he had recruited two disabled people to the six-strong team. The 21 and 19 year old were both managing business areas and were recruited in competition with able bodied candidates.

Rachel Reeves MP, shadow work and pensions secretary, also spoke at the event in City Hall which was attended by nearly 100 delegates.