•
Exploring financial supports and benefits for disabled people and their whānau, to recognise the
ongoing costs of the COVID-19 pandemic for disabled people and their whānau, particularly as
many continue to effectively self-isolate to protect themselves, despite reduced restrictions. This
includes:
> Support to tertiary students, including through the Student Loan Scheme
> Extending the flexibility for Total Mobility card users accessing subsidised taxis during the
earlier stages of the COVID-19 response to the current Omicron outbreak through to the
end of the pandemic response.
•
Undertaking further research into the longer-term society-wide impacts of disabled people and
their whānau choosing to self-isolate for an extended period of time to protect themselves and
their whānau.
•
Ensuring that any inequities between ACC and Ministry of Health/Disability Support Services
funding are identified and removed.
•
Recognising the imbalance of power and risks experienced by disabled people, as set out in
the two reports Acting now for a violence and abuse free future6 and Whakamanahia Te Tiriti,
Whakahaumarutia te Tangata: Honour the Treaty, Protect the person7 released by the Human Rights
Commission in December 2021, as relevant in the context of pandemic restrictions. These reports
can be used as tools to advocate for changes to protect the human rights of disabled people and
tāngata whaikaha Māori, and to ensure their experiences of violence that have been marginalised
and ignored for many years are addressed.
•
Ensuring that people experiencing long term health and disability impacts of COVID-19,
including ‘Long COVID’8 and adverse events from vaccinations,9 are responded to and supported
appropriately by the whole health and disability system.
•
Ensuring the health and disability system reforms currently underway prioritise better health and
wellbeing outcomes for disabled people and their whānau. This includes ensuring:
> Disabled people and their whānau can participate in locality planning in the restructured
health system from 1 July 2022.
> Regional variation that leads to differences between rural and urban service availability and
quality is addressed.
> Ensuring Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments are embedded throughout the health and
disability sectors.
12
6
Human Rights Commission(a) (2021).
7
Human Rights Commission(b) (2021).
8
Akbarialiabad et al., (2021).
9
Medsafe, (2022). COVID-19: Vaccine Safety Monitoring Process.
Inquiry into the Support of Disabled People and Whānau During Omicron