Top of page
Misc

Minister escalates desexualisation of people with disabilities to ‘new low’ in Australia

a man in a wheelchair with girl on the street
Photo: Dreamstime

Australian Greens Disability Rights has called on Government Services Minister Stuart Robert to accept the Federal Court ruling that NDIS participants can use their funds for sex work.

Steele-John spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said Minister Robert’s proposal to change NDIS rules, stopping participants from making claims for sex services, rather than accept the outcome of the court case were “a new low”.

“The suggestion that granting people with disabilities their basic human right to sexual expression will somehow destabilise the financial sustainability of the NDIS is ridiculous,” Steele-John said.

“The NDIS was designed to give people choice and control over the supports they need to live a good life; any attempt to curtail the rights of individual participants by the Minister is a direct attempt to undermine the whole intention of the scheme.

“The desexualisation of people with disabilities is a key factor in a lot of the abuse situations we end up in and it is disappointing to see the Minister responsible for the NDIS continuing to push that as the official government line.

“People with disabilities shouldn’t be denied access to their basic human rights just because this government can’t get their head around the fact that people with disabilities have sex!”

You might also like

graphics of worker assisting participant to get out of chair in bathroom graphics of worker assisting participant to get out of chair in bathroom

New video campaign promotes NDIS Code of Conduct

New educational videos from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission…

Girl with a disability enjoying swinging Girl with a disability enjoying swinging

North Sydney seeks input on Disability Inclusion Action Plan

North Sydney Council is inviting persons with disabilities, carers, service…

man in a wheelchair on a busy street man in a wheelchair on a busy street

Council seeks input on key health and disability plans

Bass Coast Shire Council is inviting the community to provide…

girl in a wheelchair being cared for by a carer in a specially adapted bathroom girl in a wheelchair being cared for by a carer in a specially adapted bathroom

Disability sector faces workforce crisis, survey finds

A new survey of almost 500 disability support workers reveals…