The boss of a small Bradford manufacturing company which has won Government praise for its work with disabled staff today urged others to follow its example.

Ropac (Yorkshire), formerly South Bradford Patterns, has attracted praise from a host of MPs and campaign groups for investing in creating a good working environment for the disabled.

Its directors have been held up as an example to others as new legislation comes into force requiring firms with fewer than 15 staff to meet tough new guidelines improving opportunities for disabled staff.

Wyke-based Ropac, which designs and manufactures patterns for engineering machinery, was one of the first and smallest businesses in the UK to achieve Disability Access Employer status.

The £1 million-turnover business, which employs nine staff, is working with the local JobCentre Plus to recruit disabled people.

Directors Diane Walton and Roy Kettlewell have invested heavily in making the factory accessible to less able-bodied people and ploughed £150,000 into a new machine designed to be operated by disabled staff.

The move followed the success of the appointment of John Whittaker who had not worked for ten years due to health problems before joining the firm.

"The difference it has made to John has been fantastic," said Mrs Walton. "When he first came to us, he had very little self-confidence whereas today he is fantastic.

"We have given John the autonomy to earn his own living and treated him with respect and he has paid us back a hundred-fold."

Mrs Walton said she understood some companies may see employing disabled staff as "a gamble". But she said there was a huge range of potential benefits and help was at hand.

"We didn't know of the various Government agencies we could go to when we were making the improvements but it is much easier than some might think," she said.

"Help is always available from various Government departments both in financial terms and through advice."

Ropac is now taking its work a step further and is looking to establish a disability workshop where young people, particularly those in wheelchairs, can take part in work and learn new skills.

It is planning to begin packing its products for customers and hopes disabled staff will be able to do the work.

Mrs Walton said she supported the drive to increase the awareness surrounding disability issues at work but said the positive messages needed to be stressed.

"I think more money has to be spent on educating small employers," she said.

"I truly think that suing and threatening companies is not always the right way to go."