Employers may wind up in the dock and face paying out thousands of pounds because they have neglected the need for basic disability awareness training.

These are the findings according to Maurice Price, managing director of the Disability Resource Team (DRT).

Price warns that despite high-profile campaigns by the government designed to create awareness of the new provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA) coming into force between now and December 2006, thousands of businesses are still ill-prepared.

Commenting, Price said: "Combined with the introduction of unlimited discrimination payments and solicitors now in line to take action against those who do not comply, the need for organisations to ensure their staff are 'disability aware' has never been more pressing."

And according to the DRT more cases were taken to Tribunal under the employment provisions of the DDA in its first year than there were of the Sex Discrimination Act or the Race Relations Act in their first years.