Lay summary
Ngāti Turi (Deaf people and their whānau) rights to health equity and equality are protected by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The “Kei Aku Ringa” report presented to the Waitangi Tribunal for the WAI 2143 Tāngata Turi claim in 2023, revealed significant breaches to human rights, enduring inequities in health outcomes and access to social determinants of health. Complex webs of policies and legislation had mobilised ableist, audist and racist ideology – by design – across society. The health and disability system now needs system redesign to ensure equity and equality for Ngāti Turi. This kaupapa rangahau proposes a three-pronged approach: (a) A qualitative study examining how a Ngāti Turi epistemology can underpin a ‘by, for and as’ approach to health (b) A critical examination of how data mechanisms can align with these epistemic underpinnings; and, (c) undertake a transformative study to develop Ngāti Turi leadership capability in the health sector.