Mowbray Cemetery has introduced an all-terrain wheelchair service to help older visitors and people who use wheelchairs access graves along the cemetery’s uneven pathways.
The service aims to improve comfort, dignity and inclusivity for visitors who find it challenging to navigate gravel paths and sloped terrain.
How the service works
Visitors can collect and return the wheelchairs at the cemetery offices at Gate 1. In addition, trained cemetery staff assist users and ensure the units are used safely.
The wheelchairs are designed to handle gravel surfaces and gentle slopes. As a result, visitors can reach gravesites more easily and with less physical strain.
Improving access and dignity
Muslim Judiciary Board spokesperson Faziel Sayed said the initiative prioritises accessibility for all visitors.
“The service is designed to ensure that every visitor can reach gravesites with ease,” Sayed said. “It reflects our commitment to making public spaces more accessible and inclusive.”
For this reason, staff aim to take visitors as close as possible to graves wherever terrain allows.
Community-driven initiative
Sayed said the project was developed through the Mowbray Cemetery Board, which operates the cemetery under the guidance of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC).
“The Mowbray Cemetery is operated by the Muslim Cemetery Board of 1886 and works through the guidance of the Muslim Judicial Council,” he said.
Meanwhile, the need for the service became clear through daily observations. Older visitors and people who use wheelchairs often struggled to manage the cemetery’s steep and uneven ground.
“We saw many families leaving older relatives in their cars because they could not manage the physical strain,” he said.
Responding to lived experiences
Additionally, the initiative draws directly from the lived experiences of board members and the community.
“Accessibility for everyone is the premise here,” Sayed said. “Why should accessibility only be for able-bodied people?”
Visitors are reminded to return the wheelchairs to the Gate 1 office after use. Ultimately, the service allows families and individuals to pay their respects without unnecessary physical barriers.
