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
  • Certificate upon completion

Online PDAT Cost – $125.00
This covers the cost of both sessions.

Registrations for our next online PDAT workshop are now closed

Session One 25th August – Session Two 1st September 2023

To avoid future disappointment please join our waiting list   

Waiting list 

If you would like to go on our list of sex workers wanting to be notified of future PDAT workshops please follow this link.

 Join our waiting list now

Sex workers who have completed our Professional Disability Awareness Training (PDAT) and are current Touching Base members can register to join our PDAT Alumni online forum.

For more information about PDAT Alumni, click here.

Target Audience

This training programme 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) programme, 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 support their carers to assist clients in accessing sexual services, if there are sex workers available who have received specific training on working with clients with disability.

This training addresses several of the many barriers clients with disability, their carers and service providers may face when considering their options in accessing sexual services in NSW.

Goals
  • Progress the concept of professional training being made available to sex workers and sex industry staff 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 and skills 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 programme
  • 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
Evaluation

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

Click here for a more in-depth details about PDAT for sex workers.

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you cancel more than two weeks before the training day you will receive 100% refund. Cancellations received 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 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.