The Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT) is committed to fostering inclusivity across all our sites, providing equitable access to our products and services, and ensuring people with disability are active participants in decisions that affect them.
Everyone deserves to visit and honour their loved ones with dignity and ease. We developed our first Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) in 2020, and since then we have been working steadily to reduce and eliminate barriers across our cemetery sites. Our new plan builds on this foundation to create even more welcoming and accessible spaces.
Developing our new DAIP
We undertook extensive consultation because we believe the best insights come from lived experience. We asked people with disability for their views on what needs to change to make our cemeteries more inclusive, conducting workshops, site access appraisals, and meaningful conversations with community members.
We also worked closely with disability advocates Eliza Hull and Mac Zamani, who brought invaluable expertise to this process. Their experiences and insights directly shaped our new plan.
The DAIP FY26-30 was endorsed by GMCT leadership and sets clear, actionable objectives we will work to achieve over the next five years.
About our DAIP
Our Disability Access and Inclusion Plan FY26-30:
was researched, developed and co-designed with people with lived experience of disability
addresses barriers in our built, information and social environments
acknowledges that one in five Victorians live with a disability and their needs are diverse
recognises that accessibility goes beyond compliance – it’s about creating spaces where everyone feels valued
highlights accessibility as an organisation-wide responsibility
includes new access initiatives to be undertaken over the next five years
respects the connection of First Nations people with disability to Country
Our three focus areas
The plan outlines how we will continue to work systematically to reduce and eliminate barriers, enabling full participation for people with disability who visit our cemeteries. We’ve organised our work into three strategic areas:
Community and Social Impact
Planning and Design
Products, Services and Operations
Our guiding principles
Five key principles shape our approach to accessibility and inclusion:
Informed by lived experience
Creating inclusive, safe, and respectful spaces
Caring for Country
Transparency and accountability
Responsible governance
Tracking our progress
Progress on actions and outcomes from our DAIP will be reported annually in our Annual Report, ensuring transparency and accountability. This commitment to regular reporting helps us stay focused on continuous improvement as we work to create places where accessibility and inclusivity are lived realities for all visitors.
Download our DAIP
Read our complete Disability Access and Inclusion Plan for FY26-30 to see the specific actions and timelines that will guide our work: