Areas for further consideration There are also a number of observations from this phase of the Inquiry that require consideration by government agencies, with a view to taking action in the short to medium term. These include: • Applying learnings from the unique Māori and Pacific peoples’ community approaches first highlighted during the Delta outbreak, and continuing throughout Omicron, so that tailored responses to the pandemic are not seen as a ‘one-off’ but as a way of working. • 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 future25 and Whakamanahia Te Tiriti, Whakahaumarutia te Tangata: Honour the Treaty, Protect the person26 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’27 and adverse events from vaccinations,28 are responded to and supported appropriately by the whole health and disability system. • Ensuring the health and disability system reforms currently underway lead to better health and wellbeing outcomes for disabled people and their whānau. This includes ensuring: > Disabled people and their whānau are able to 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. 44 25 Human Rights Commission(a) (2021). 26 Human Rights Commission(b) (2021). 27 Akbarialiabad et al., (2021). 28 Medsafe, (2022). COVID-19: Vaccine Safety Monitoring Process. Inquiry into the Support of Disabled People and Whānau During Omicron