Dr George Taleporos, Independent Chair of Every Australian Counts, said the disability community is concerned about how the new I-CAN support needs assessments will be used, and that trust will only come through transparency, safeguards and genuine co-design.

“Community members have raised fears about being assessed by strangers and whether the process could be used to limit supports. For support needs assessments to work, the NDIA must be open about how the I-CAN tool will be used and exactly how assessment results will shape participants’ budgets and supports,” Dr Taleporos said.

“The NDIS must never reduce us to data points in a secret algorithm — people with disability are not numbers, we are human beings, and our rights must remain at the heart of the Scheme,” said Dr Taleporos.

“People with disability must be able to see and challenge the decisions being made about our lives, that’s how we build trust and make sure the NDIS stays true to its purpose.”

Dr Taleporos said co-design with the disability community is essential to ensure that assessments capture the whole person, draw on existing reports, and reflect every aspect of life where support is needed.

“Assessors must be well-trained, trauma-informed professionals who are accountable to participants. People need safeguards, including the right to request a different assessor or a replacement assessment if their needs are misunderstood,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of transparency in funding decisions:
“Participants must always have access to their full assessment report. Anything less denies people the right to understand and challenge decisions about their own lives.”

“If government gets this right, I-CAN could deliver more consistency and fairness. But without openness, safeguards and co-design, it risks undermining trust and failing the very people it is meant to support.”