The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is one of the greatest human services reforms in Australia’s history, and holds great promise in improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of people with disability. But the federal government’s proposed “independent assessments” aren’t the way forward for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people with a disability. I’m a Koori bloke from the Yuin Nation who lives with disability and has a research career spanning nearly 20 years. The biggest problem I have with the proposed framework is that it’s disrespectful and discriminatory towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.