Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide For People with Disabilities

IS ASSISTANCE REQUIRED?

Who Will Provide the Assistance?

Anyone in the Office or the Building

People with visual impairments who are able to go up and down stairs easily but simply have trouble finding the way or operating door locks, latches, and other devices can be assisted by anyone. A viable plan may simply be for the person with a visual impairment to be aware that he or she will need to ask someone for assistance.

Specific Person(s) in the Office or the Building

• Friend or co-worker

  • Relative

  • Supervisor

  • Building staff

  • Floor safety warden

• First responders

  • Floor safety warden

  • Fire fighter

  • Police officer

  • Emergency medical services: emergency medical technicians (EMTs), ambulance personnel

What Assistance Will the Person(s) Provide?

Guidance

• Explaining how to get to the usable circulation path

• Escorting the person who is blind or has low vision to and/or through the circulation path

Minor Physical Effort

• Offering the person an arm or allowing the person to place a hand on your shoulder and assisting the person to/through the circulation path

• Opening doors in the circulation path

Waiting for First Responders

Generally speaking, a person who is blind or has low vision will not need to wait for first responders. Doing so would likely be a last choice when there is an imminent threat to people in the building. While first responders do their best to get to a site and the particular location of those needing their assistance, there is no way to predict how long any given area will remain a safe haven under emergency conditions.

Where Will the Person(s) Start Providing Assistance?

From the Location of the Person Requiring Assistance

Does the person providing assistance need to go where the person who is blind or has low vision is located at the time the alarm sounds? If so, how will he or she know where the person needing assistance is?

• Phone

• PDA

• E-mail

• Visual

• Other

From a Specific, Predetermined Location

• Entry to stairs

• Other

When Will the Person(s) Provide Assistance?

• Always

• Only when asked

• Other

How Will the Person(s) Providing Assistance Be Contacted?

• Face to face

• Phone

• PDA

• E-mail

• Visual

• Other