Evacuation of people with disabilities

Since people with disabilities obtained the right to access the built environment, emergency evacuation of people with functional limitations has been an issue in building design and code development activities. Recent events, however, have emphasized that evacuation problems for this group extend beyond building design to include preparedness, the process of evacuation and the recovery efforts as well. This paper describes the extent of the problem and identifies key research and development issues. An argument is advanced for universal design approaches that will integrate concern for disability into all evacuation practices and benefit not just people with disabilities, but all stakeholders.