Working with Disabled Clients - Radio Documentary

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

"Each year CBC gets together with seven other public broadcasters from around the world to produce documentaries on a single theme. This year the theme is Who Says I Can't?. Karin Wells will introduce stories of defiance. These are tales of people who, by necessity or choice, challenge authority, sometimes at great personal cost."

 

As part of this series, the following aired on CBC Radio's "Global Perspectives", 21 July 2011:

 

"The Too Hard Basket"

 

"Physically disabled people are rarely touched in a loving way or thought of as sexually beings. Yet they have the same need for a sexual life as everyone else. John Blades, who has a major disability himself, talks to sex workers about why they work with disabled clients and the importance of touch to every human being... (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)"

 

Listen to the documentary (27 min 29 sec) : http://www.cbc.ca/globalperspectives/ ("Featured Audio"section)

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

There's a longer (52 minute) version of this documentary, together with transcript and extended audio featurettes, posted here:

 

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/360/the-too-hard-basket/2969386

 

Disabled people are rarely touched in a loving way or thought of as sexually desirable yet they have the same need for a sexual life as everyone else. In this confronting program John Blades, who has a major disability himself, talks to sex workers about why they work with disabled clients and the importance of touch to every human being.

 

He also meets other people with disabilities; Gary who has burns to 60% of his body and finds that being touched by his wife on his burnt skin makes him feel desirable; and Caitlin, who has cerebral palsy, and whose first sexual experience was with a sex worker.

 

This program won The Walkley Award for Social Equity Journalism, The Human Rights Award and Best Documentary from the Asian Broadcasting Union.

 

Warning: There is material of an adult nature in the program

 

Extra audio

 

Dr Gary Fulcher - re-connecting with his wife sexually after an accident that left him severely burnt and his work as a psychologist in the area of disability and sexuality.

 

Saul - discusses the work of Touching Base, [

http://www.touchingbase.org/]

an organisation [in NSW Australia] that supports sex workers [including offering training and workshops] who have clients with disabilities and his own experiences of working with these clients.

 

Kylie - is a sex worker who talks about her work with people who have disabilities and the importance of touch and sexual expression in our lives.

 

Caitlin - is a young woman with a disability who talks about her own sexuality.