The government has urged advertisers to use more images of people with disabilities in their campaigns.

The first annual Images of Disability report found that half of all new government advertising campaigns featured images of disability, while sponsorship of two major advertising awards had encouraged executives to consider the issue.

In addition, the report highlighted achievements such as the availability of workshops to help share best practice within the advertising industry and the creation of a network of disability champions, both within government departments and advertising agencies.

"For too long disability has been the image advertising forgot," said the minister for disabled people, Maria Eagle.

"At the heart of this, I'm sure, is a misapprehension that disability doesn't sell. Try telling that to the UK's 8.6 million disabled people spending more than £45 billion a year.

"Disabled people are consumers like everybody else. It is surprising that advertisers haven't yet properly woken up to the value of the 'disabled pound'. Disabled people are the poor relations when it comes to ad campaigns.

"We can all look back with a sense of embarrassment at how few black people appeared in advertisements 15 years ago. I believe that in 15 years time we will look back with similar embarrassment at the lack of disabled people in commercial breaks and on billboards today."