Disabled children are losing out on the chance to live normal lives because public services are failing them, the Audit Commission has warned.

In a report out on Wednesday, researchers claimed services in England and Wales were "a lottery".

Access to care, equipment and facilities is dependent largely on where families live and how determined parents are to do battle with officials.

Parents are routinely forced to turn detectives and work their way through "a maze of providers" in order to find essential information and support.

The Commission warned services were often offered on the basis of what could be provided rather than being based on the priorities of individual families.

Social services departments, schools and hospitals should ensure specialist and mainstream services focus attention on helping families participate in everyday life, the report recommended.

"Disabled children continue to receive Cinderella services, which not only reduce their life chances but also their families' quality of life," said chairman James Strachan.

"Improving disabled children's services does not mean new targets, new structures or wholly new approaches.

"What is needed is better management of services so that good practice is mainstreamed, the leadership that makes this possible, and a new attitude which sees the social exclusion of disabled children as unacceptable."