It's two years this month since New Zealand first went into lockdown, and it's been a tough and tumultuous time for so many, including those with a disability.
New Zealand's leading provider of services for people with intellectual disabilities, IHC, says the pandemic has deepened the inequities that disabled people face. And that's proved incredibly frustrating for one Christchurch man with cerebral palsy.
But Brodie Cross says he's while he may be down, he's not out.
"Hi I'm Brodie Cross and I would like you to employ me because my wheelchair doesn't define who I am or what I can do for you."
He's 21-years-old, smart, independent and desperate for a job.
"Don't diss my ability," Cross says. "Everybody wants a chance, don't they. Everybody wants to contribute to their community."
Cross has cerebral palsy, is wheelchair-bound and is losing his vision. But he refuses to let that hold him back.
He was last employed by the International Antarctic Centre as a tour guide, a job he loved. But he was made redundant in June 2020, a victim of the pandemic.
"I was able to do my job efficiently and effectively and to suddenly lose that and to not seeing my colleagues and not seeing people anymore well that was just really sad," Cross says.
"But at the same time I understood why, it was health and public, I would rather be alive than in a casket."
He's since filled out countless job applications but to no avail. Sometimes it's simply his physical limitations that instantly rule him out.
"It does make me feel a little left out," he says. "But we're not given chances because of the stigma and stereotypes."
He's now socially isolated, his finances are tight and the cost of living, including his rent, is going up.
But Cross is not alone. IHC says COVID has been tough on those with disabilities, deepening the inequities they face.
And it's not just employment, it also covers everything from housing to education to health. But it's having that job, that security, that sense of belonging, that means so much to so many.
"The reality is many disabled people want to work but don't have any access to employment, so far fewer disabled people working compared to non-disabled people," IHC director of advocacy Trish Grant says.
"Of those disabled people, 75 percent of them want work and can't get it."
IHC says fears around hiring someone with a disability, such as expense and health and safety risks are unfounded.
But the benefits, both financially and socially, are immense.
"It's great for their brand to say we are an employer who has a diverse workplace and we are up for it," Grant says.
Her message to employers is simple: "Do it, give them a go."
Brodie Cross wants that "go" and he's aiming high.
"My dream job would actually be to have the opportunity to be the Governor-General of New Zealand," Cross said.
Well, it is up for grabs in four years.
