Conclusions and cross-cutting themes In addition to the six main themes outlined in this report, several cross-cutting themes emerged in submissions to this phase of the Inquiry. These include: • Issues with quality disability data. The lack of real-time data collection, modelling, monitoring, and analysis using high quality ethnicity and disability data was at the root of a number of the concerns raised in submissions. This has limited the ability for government agencies to monitor case numbers and rates, transmission and severity of COVID-19 for disabled people and their whānau, just it as it has prevented a closer look at access to and quality of health and disability services. A lack of data has also limited the ability for community groups and organisations to advocate for urgent changes. • Unacceptable variation in the level or nature of health care or disability supports available to disabled people and their whānau. These variations include issues of differences by location (either by DHB district or by urban or rural setting), which have already been widely canvassed elsewhere, such as the Health and Disability System Review,20 and differences in the supports funded by ACC compared to the Ministry of Health. • Concerns that services are not universally accessible to disabled people and that government agencies are not consistently providing information in accessible formats that allow disabled people to be fully informed during the pandemic. This reinforces the need for the proposed new “accelerating accessibility” in Aotearoa21, which aims to identify, prevent, and remove barriers to participation for disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori and others with accessibility needs. • Ongoing concerns about structural inequities and recognition of how different types of discrimination, such as ableism and racism, can intersect and add to disadvantage for disabled people. For this reason, areas like violence and abuse remain a concern for the Commission in all work to ensure the rights of disabled people are protected. • The need to ensure all parts of the health and disability system are playing their roles in ensuring the quality of health care and other services for disabled people. This includes ensuring that people experiencing long term health and disability impacts of COVID-19,22 including ‘Long COVID’ and adverse events from vaccinations,23 are responded to and supported appropriately by the whole health and disability system. The future roles of Health New Zealand, the Māori Health Authority and the Public Health Agency should also be considered in any work in this area. Collectively, the six themes identified throughout this phase of the Inquiry and these cross-cutting themes raise questions around how the rights of disabled people and their whānau have been protected throughout the Omicron outbreak. These questions warrant further attention. Following on from this phase of the Inquiry, the Human Rights Commission will explore the best way to ensure these critical questions are addressed, be that through engagement with government agencies, or a further detailed examination of the government’s COVID-19 response, and its impacts on disabled people and their whānau. 40 20 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2022). 21 Hon Carmel Sepuloni and Hon Andrew Little. (2021). 22 Akbarialiabad et al., (2021). 23 Medsafe, (2022). COVID-19: Vaccine Safety Monitoring Process. Inquiry into the Support of Disabled People and Whānau During Omicron