A Big win – using NDIS funding to access sex work services

[Shirley Carpenter]

A unanimous decision of the Federal Court has been handed down which upholds the right of a person with disability to use their National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding to access sex work services.

“This courageous person with disability has fought for years to have her right to equal access to ordinary sexual expression funded through her NDIS plan,” said El Gibbs, Director, Media and Communications, People with Disability Australia.

“She won her Administrative Appeals Tribunal case, and has now emphatically won in the Federal Court of Australia. We urge the NDIS to accept this decision today, and allow people with disability to fund sexual expression through their plans.”

Also from the PWDA: “We have also been asking the NDIS to develop a comprehensive policy about sexuality that includes appropriate disability-inclusive sexuality and relationships education; information and resources to support individual learning needs; support for dating and social sexual engagements; access to adaptive sex toys; access to sex therapy or utilising sexual services from sex workers,” said Ms Gibbs.

You can read the full PWDA statement here: https://pwd.org.au/landmark-decision-for-the-right-of-people-with-disability-to-have-sex/

It would not be a good look for the NDIA to appeal the decision so this is good news for human rights, decency and equality for all.

[Shirley Carpenter]

Hey there well they do fund “sexual counselling” by a Social Worker but that I think might be the extent of it. I haven’t contacted iCare to confirm that they don’t fund sex therapy or sex work so it might be worth a call…..

 

 

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