Sex and the NDIS – WWDA Forum

Posted on July 11, 2023

People with disability have the right to make choices about their bodies, including about sex!

You are invited to an online interactive forum about the NDIS and sex.

We want to hear your ideas for how the NDIS can support you in meeting your reproductive and sexual health needs.

We will talk about assistive technology and sexual and reproductive services and supports.

This event is a paid opportunity, so please make sure that you register to attend. Limited spots are available.

When: Saturday, 19 August 2023
Time: 12 – 2 pm (AEST)
Payment: $140 for the session.
Auslan and captions will be provided.
Register here!

To participate in this activity, you must fill out a privacy and consent form (available in Easy Read). This will be emailed to you once you register.

To receive payment, you will need to fill out a payment form (available in Easy Read). This will be emailed to you, once you have attended the event.

The event is fully booked.

Join the waitlist here

Event Hosts

Karin Swift – WWDA President

Photo of Karin Swift — *[Image above: Karin has shoulder-length red-brown hair and wearing a red and black floral shirt sitting in a wheelchair.]*

Karin Swift (she/ her) has had an extensive career in the disability, advocacy and social policy space where she is committed to people with disability living valued lives in the community. Karin is a past President of Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) and has an extensive background in governance roles for other non-government organisations (NGOs). Karin has represented the Australian Government and WWDA at the Commission on the Status of Women 57 (CSW 57) held at the United Nations, New York, providing high level, strategic advice to on women with disability and violence and presenting at various side events. Karin has also led training alongside the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and been a keynote speaker for WWDA in Indonesia and South Korea on gender and disability and the elimination of violence.

Karin has previously worked at Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) in various roles and provided strategic high-level advice and analysis on many contemporary disability issues and other social policies including: human rights, gender issues, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the Disability Royal Commission, housing, transport, welfare reform and employment.

Karin currently works as an independent consultant providing strategic high level advice, policy analysis and giving presentations to a diverse range of audiences on a range of key disability social policy issues.

Cat Standley – WWDA LEAD Policy Director

Photo of Cat Standley — *[Image above: Cat has long dark brown hair and wearing a blue scarf.]*

Since 2018, Cat (she/ her) has been working in the health industry as a clinician and health educator. More recently, Cat ventured into the adult sexual health education sector as she is passionate about the sexual and reproductive health rights of all people, with a particular interest in advocating for the sexual and reproductive health rights of people with disabilities and LGBTIQA+ communities and how these communities intersect with one another.

Cat completed her Bachelor of Health Science in 2018 and in 2022 gained her Master of Science in Medicine specialising in Sexual and Reproductive Health from The University of Sydney.

Speakers

Touching Base

[Image above: Black text reads Touching Base Inc. Yellow text reads Sex workers and people with disability coming together. A yellow and purple icon of two hands nearly touching.]

Saul Isbister (he/him) is an internationally recognised sex worker activist and inaugural member of Touching Base, who has served as President since the position was created in 2006.

Vice President Rose Handley (she/her),a woman with disability on the NDIS who utilises the services of sex workers, has been on the Touching Base Committee of Management for 3 years and has a background of working in the disability sector in carer and management roles.

Melanie Hawkes – WWDA Member

Sophie Cusworth – WWDA Senior Policy Officer

Photo of Sophie Cusworth who has long brown hair and wearinng a brown shirt.

Sophie (she/her) is a lawyer and policy officer passionate about gender equality, disability rights and intersectionality in policymaking. She has experience designing and delivering consent education programs for young people in schools and residential colleges. As a woman living with chronic pelvic pain, Sophie is also passionate about access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, supports and services. Sophie is representing WWDA in the NDIS Review, attending regular meetings with members of the NDIS Review Panel and other Disability Representative Organisations.