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In 2004, a new clause to the Disability Discrimination Act put a duty on shops and service providers to ensure that wherever possible, they are accessible to people with disability.

Yet five years on a "mystery shopper" test carried out by Eye on Wales in a Cardiff suburb revealed some degree of difficulty in most premises visited by a disabled shopper.

The research mirrors that conducted by Disability Wales which recruited 38 mystery shoppers to highlight the difficulties which many disabled people are still experiencing in going about their daily business and lives.

In 2004, a new clause was added to the Disability Discrimination Act, placing a duty on shops and other services such as banks and restaurants to ensure they are accessible to disabled people by making "reasonable adjustments".

But Disability Wales' report, "Streets Ahead" expresses disappointment that, "there are still high street shops and services inaccessible to many disabled people."

"There has been progress in some areas, but the pace of change needs to speed up."

Rhyan Berrigan, policy officer for Disability Wales and author of the report, said, "You've got barriers to physical access, barriers to communication, and attitude barriers as well."

"There's quite a high percentage of disabled people in Wales and at the moment their access to local high street shops and services isn't great, it can be improved. In most high streets, it's a battle just to go shopping."

Kay Jenkins, who is severely disabled by brittle bone disease and has to use a wheelchair, visited ten premises in a Cardiff suburb for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales' Eye on Wales programme.

In eight of these, she encountered difficulties or shortcomings, to some degree, to accessing them.

This included being unable to enter the premises at all; no low counter to serve disabled customers in banks; no disabled trolleys in a supermarket; an inability to reach the second level of shops due to steps; and unhelpful staff attitudes.

Kay, from Aberdare, said, "I was extremely disappointed. It's 2009 now, and people can't say that it's impossible to do alterations because it's not, there's always ways of doing things."

"Even if they haven't got any permanent alterations, they could have mobile ramps, but they didn't have the attitude or the inkling to change things."

"I work full-time, I earn quite a good wage and I want to spend my money. And I don't want to spend it on the internet, I want to spend it in the shop."

In an interview with Kay for the programme, Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones pledges to involve disability groups in planning legislation and consultation, and to flag up concerns about disability discrimination legislation.

He says, "If there are examples coming out of this programme that we could actually raise with the UK government, then we'd be happy to do that."