2025
Exploring the experiences of people with disability who access sex worker services, in Australia. PhD research by Rachel Wotton
Dr. Rachel Wotton, an inaugural member of Touching Base, has now published her full thesis Exploring the experiences of people with disability who access sex worker services, in Australia, otherwise referred to as the PASA-Research study. This important research focuses on the experiences of people with disability.
Through online survey and interviews with people with disability, the barriers and facilitators to accessing sex worker services were explored, as well as motivational factors for doing so.
This research provides a “robust empirical dataset to inform evidence-based policy development, training programs, and educational workshops” that Touching Base looks forward to using in our future work.
“Eight motivational factors were identified for seeking sex worker services: sexual enjoyment, desire for sexual variety, combating loneliness and isolation, seeking genuine intimacy and connectivity, lack of other sexual outlets, increasing sexual literacy, therapeutic healing, and recovery and rehabilitation.” (Wotton, 2024)
CONGRATULATIONS to Rachel on completing this incredible body of work which will no doubt provide useful insights for those in both the sex and disability sectors, and meaningful evidence for future policy decision-making.
The full PhD thesis is 427 pages and available to the public via this link. You can also listen to Rachel discuss this research on podcasts and radio here: https://www.rachelwotton.com/pasa/
2016
Sex workers who provide services to clients with disability in New South Wales, Australia 2016.
Sydney University, Masters by Research by Rachel Wotton
Aims: Sexuality and sexual needs/desires of people with disability have historically been overlooked amongst the general public. Long standing social attitudes and stereotypes have fundamentally dictated that people with disabilities cannot and should not express their sexual agency. In particular, when people with disability have sought to express their sexual needs via the services of a sex worker, this has tended to provoke much social and political ire. This research is an exploratory study about sex workers who provide services to clients with disability. The aim of this research is to identify the nature and extent of such activities to produce empirical data to support anecdotal evidence and recent emerging research in this field.
Follow this link to access the abstract and a PDF of the full research via Sydney Digital Theses (Open Access).
2015 »
The Subversion of Progressive Intent: The Realities of Sex Work Policy: When and How It Is Enforced
Touching Base commissioned the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) to conduct a 2 phase research project investigating how Metropolitan Sydney Councils regulate their local sex industry premises.
Phase 1 covered restrictions in zoning options for commercial Sex Services Premises and Home Occupation (Sex Services) areas. See the important findings in the Phase One Fact-Sheet
Phase 2 investigated complaints and enforcement actions. Here is a link to the Phase Two Fact-Sheet and a link to the Full Report and Appendices covering Phases One & Two
Below is Australian research that examines attitudes, barriers and training needs of service providers to people with disability here in NSW as well as research examining the sexual behavior, sexual esteem and sexual satisfaction of people with a broad range of physical disability with varying levels of both severity and duration.
2003 » Sexual Esteem, Sexual Satisfaction, and Sexual Behavior Among People With Physical Disability (PDF 59kb) – Marita P. McCabe, Ph.D. and George Taleporos, B.A.(Hons.), G.Dip.(Ed. Psych., Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 4, August 2003, pp. 359–369. The aim of this study was to examine the sexual behaviour, sexual esteem, and sexual satisfaction of people with a broad range of physical disability with varying levels of both severity and duration. This study investigated the association between the severity and duration of physical disability and sexual esteem, sexual depression, sexual satisfaction and the frequency of sexual behaviour. A total of 1,196 participants completed the study.
2002 » Touching Base Survey
Touching Base Survey of service providers to people with a disability – exploring the barriers to delivering and accessing sex work services. The Touching Base Committee initiated this ground-breaking research that examines attitudes, barriers and training needs of service providers to people with disability here in NSW.