From a disability-rights viewpoint, problems that have dogged the debate on human genetic modification (see go.nature.com/6wb45k) also pervade your curtain-raiser to the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine conference (see D. J. H. Mathews et al. Nature 527, 159–161; 2015). The authors' portrayal of the public as a passive recipient of 'wisdom' from 'experts' goes against healthy discourse on responsible research and governance.

The disability-rights community has a history of disagreement with such experts (including authorities, scientists and clinicians) over their perception of people with disabilities. This is summarized as 'ableism', a view that disability is an abnormality instead of a feature of human diversity. It can lead to flawed 'solutions' and disempower those affected (see G. Wolbring J. Crit. Anim. Stud. 12, 118–141; 2014).

“It is time to collectively make decisions about the kind of world we want to live in,” write Mathews and colleagues. This discussion should include ability expectations and how they should be governed.