Recommendations and observations Since this Inquiry was launched on 11 March 2022, increased attention has been paid to disability in the government’s COVID-19 response. This includes initiatives such as working to make it easier to locate disability information, a greater number of stakeholder meetings with the community to gather feedback, and the Ministry of Health contracting resource to assist in rapidly addressing gaps. However, the wide range of concerns shared through submissions reinforce the need for further attention to ensuring the rights of disabled people and their whānau are protected throughout the government’s COVID-19 response. This must be done in a way that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In advance of this Report release, and recognising the urgent need for action, the Commissioner has shared the high-level recommendations with Government. Some recommendations have already been partially or fully actioned. All recommendations are set out here for completeness. This report has organised recommendations into four domains:24 • Taking immediate action • Preparing for the continued responses to COVID-19 • Designing systems and policies for disability inclusiveness • Transforming society’s cultural assumptions about disability. After considering the submissions to this phase of the Inquiry, the Commission recommends that: Taking immediate action 1. Government agencies with COVID-19 responsibilities work in partnership with disabled people and their whānau, and disabled peoples’ organisations to establish a coordinated approach to sharing COVID-19 accessible information, support (including access to masks and testing), and service navigation, developed especially for disabled people and their whānau. While this might involve a one-stop-shop, it cannot assume one size fits all. It is essential that information is provided in alternate formats and that low- or no-tech options are available for all disabled people and their whānau. This also requires: a. Revamping the COVID-19 website to ensure specific information, designed for disabled people and produced in a range of in alternate formats, is easily available. b. Ensuring information designed for disabled people takes into account the needs of tāngata whaikaha Māori and disabled Pacific peoples and their whānau. c. The contributions already made by disabled people and their whānau, and disabled peoples’ organisations to produce accessible and tailored information for disabled people about COVID-19 and Omicron, be acknowledged, built on, and appropriately funded. 2. The Government’s COVID-19 response immediately provide improved support to disabled people and their whānau so they can access specific Omicron supports, including: a. Increasing access to free RAT kits for disabled people, to use at their discretion (for example for whānau and support workers to use when coming into the homes of disabled people). 24 These recommendations have been further informed by the “practical and moral compass for action” put forward by Jones et al., (2021), and the “framework for disability-inclusive pandemic responses and systemic inequities reduction for disabled people” described in the evidence-base by Jesus et al., (2022). 41