Australian Human Rights Commission Annual Report 2021–22 providing education about human rights and responsibilities and by providing an accessible, fair and impartial complaint-handling process. The unprecedented number of complaints received by the Commission in 2020–21 increased even further in 2021–22 as COVID19 continued to have a significant impact on both complaint volume and complaint subject matter. Most notably, an exceptionally high number of complaints received under the Disability Discrimination Act relating to mask wearing requirements (and to a lesser degree, vaccine mandates). A direct consequence of the unparalleled number of complaints received (and complaint subject matter) has been an increase in complaint handling timeframes and a decrease in the percentage of complaints that have been resolved through conciliation. Notwithstanding a decrease in the percentage of resolved complaints, more than 2,400 complainants and respondents were able to resolve their disputes through the Commission’s complaint handling processes. In addition, the Commission’s National Information Service (NIS) assisted more than 23,000 people across Australia by providing information about the discrimination laws and rights and responsibilities during a time of significant societal upheaval. Reviewing the complaints and inquiries received by the Commission since the start of the pandemic, it is notable that there has never been such a marked correlation between an external ‘event’ and the concerns that the Australian public have been raising with the Commission. For example, as government policy settings have changed there has been a notable downturn in mask and vaccination related complaints and an increase in concerns about employment related issues as individuals and organisations adapt to the changing health and societal landscape. 62