Professional Disability Awareness Training (PDAT) for sex workers

Professional Disability Awareness Training (PDAT) – for experienced sex workers only

Our PDAT workshops have been adapted for online delivery. Workshop dates will be added as they are confirmed.

Each PDAT online workshop takes place over two 3 hour live sessions and includes:

  • Presentations by experienced peer trainers
  • Interactive group discussions & activities
  • A training workbook full of useful information and take-home resources
  • Certificate upon completion.

Online PDAT Cost – $125.00
This covers the cost of both sessions. 10% discount available for Touching Base members at checkout.

Registrations are now open for our next PDAT workshop, Friday 25th July and Friday 1st August 2025

Follow this link to register   

Registrations close on Friday 18th July, or once the workshop sessions are full – our workshops are capped at 12 participants, so don’t delay if you want to attend!

Waiting list 

If you would like to go on our list of sex workers wanting to be notified of future PDAT workshops, please follow the link below:

 Join our waiting list now

PDAT Alumni

Sex workers who have completed our Professional Disability Awareness Training (PDAT) and are current Touching Base members are invited to join our PDAT Alumni. This consists of a peer-only online discussion forum with heaps of information and resources.

For more information about PDAT Alumni, click here.

Target Audience

This training workshop is reserved for sex workers only.

This respects the right of sex workers to protect their identity as they pursue their professional development in the company of their immediate peers.

To be eligible sex workers must have been providing sex services for a minimum of three (3) months.

Rationale

By developing the Professional Disability Awareness Training (PDAT) program, the Touching Base Committee pursued two of the key recommendations from our first Forum – Training and Partnership.
Although many experienced sex workers may have provided services to clients with various disability, a lack of specific awareness or training has been identified as being an issue for some people with disability and many sex workers themselves. It has also been identified that some service providers may find themselves more able to assist clients in accessing sexual services when there are sex workers available who have received specific training on working with clients with disability.

Goals
  • Progress the concept of professional training being made available to sex workers who wish to gain greater awareness and skills in working with clients who have a range of special needs
  • Assist sex workers and sex industry staff to challenge myths and prejudices they or their workplace may have regarding clients with disability
  • Inform participants of the diverse sexuality of people with disability
  • Educate participants on how discrimination may create barriers for people with disability to access the sexual lifestyles of their choice – including accessing sex workers and sex services premises
  • Inform on better practice for providing accessible services to people with disability
  • Inform on how to arrange services through a third party (personal care attendant, family member or friend of client, etc)
Outcomes/Objectives
  • Participants will gain knowledge and skills on how to increase the accessibility of their services/premises to people with disability
  • Participants will gain skills in working with clients with various disabilities – including mobility and communication impairments
  • Increased awareness on a range of Occupational, Health and Safety issues
  • Increased awareness of the sexual rights of people with disability
  • Increased recognition of the rights of sex workers to have access to courses for professional development
  • Sex workers and people with disability will be empowered through their vital collaboration in the development and presentation of this training program
  • Increase of the numbers of sex workers available for referrals through the Touching Base database of sex workers who have completed the Professional Disability Awareness Training (PDAT)
  • Increased networking and support for sex workers who see clients with disability.

Please note this is an awareness training workshop; with a focus on increasing the awareness of the sexual rights of people with disability and the stigma and discrimination faced by people with disability when accessing sexual services, and providing information on better practice for providing accessible sexual services.

Although PDAT touches on the basics of providing practical hands-on support to clients with disability, it does not cover aspects such as manual lifting, falls procedures, catheter use, and so on. 

We believe hands-on skill sets are best left to those who are certified to teach them – there are many training providers across Australia that run in-person and online courses covering these areas, for example National Disability Services Manual Handling for Disability Support Workers online training.

Evaluation

On completion of the training program sex workers will receive a Certificate of Attendance from Touching Base Inc. Certificates are available to participants in both their working and/or personal names, allowing sex workers to safeguard their anonymity.

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you cancel more than two (2) weeks before the first session you will receive 100% refund. Cancellations made after this time will receive 50% refund. There is no refund available for non-attendance or cancellation on the actual day of training. Touching Base Inc reserves the right to cancel a workshop and in this case a full refund will be provided. Touching Base Inc is not responsible for any other costs incurred by participants in attending our training.

Touching Base endorses The Uluru Statement from the Heart and acknowledges First Nations as the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia, their diversity, histories and knowledge, and their continuing connections to land and community. As Australians all, we respect our nation’s First Peoples, their cultures, and Elders of past, present and future generations.