“The absence of an effective Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership for tāngata whaikaha Māori and their whānau nationally has contributed to overall health and wellbeing inequities for our people compounded by the existing inequities that Māori suffer at an individual and population level.” (Māori submission) Concerns were also expressed in the submissions that the Omicron response failed to recognise the differential impacts of the pandemic and therefore that a range of different approaches was needed to ensure equitable outcomes for disabled people: “The Omicron response has been entirely ‘whole of population’ or a one-size-fits-all, that further contributes to inequities for disabled people. There has been NO specific targeted plan to protect or safeguard this at-risk population. This directly contravenes the Crowns obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” (Māori submission) Many submissions shared experiences of trying to be heard during the earlier stages of the COVID-19 response, such as through participation in Ministry of Health advisory groups. However, several submissions raised concerns that disabled people on advisory groups were not listened to or acted on: “While in theory the groups provide opportunity for organisations to share the challenges that the disabled community face during this pandemic, our representatives have felt that despite repeatedly highlighting issues, concerns were left unaddressed...In March 2020, several groups formed as a response to the pandemic, including groups focused on disability issues. The plans put in place and advice given at that time do not appear to have been carried through to present day. For example, official communications continue to be in inaccessible formats and disabled people continue to experience barriers to accessing key health responses such as vaccinations and testing.” (Submission) “I’ve been on two [Ministry of Health] groups – I don’t think any of our suggestions were ever followed, especially with regard for the needs of Māori and Pasifika in South Auckland.” (Submission) These concerns have grown with the introduction of the COVID-19 Protection Framework (known as the Traffic Light System) as many of the issues disabled people identified in the first two years of the COVID-19 response have become worse, while at the same time COVID-19 restrictions (and the protections they offered disabled people, whānau, and communities) have lessened: “They were often being told by non-disabled both in person and via the media, in particular business interests, that we should just be getting on with getting back to normal. [We are] being made to feel like we are overreacting, fearful, instead of the fact we are making sensible decisions based on our health and risk factors.” (Submission) 18 Inquiry into the Support of Disabled People and Whānau During Omicron