Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide For People with Disabilities

Is There a Usable Circulation Path?

A circulation path is considered a usable circulation path if it meets one of the following criteria:

• A person with disabilities is able to travel unassisted through it to a public way.

• A person with disabilities is able to travel unassisted through that portion of the circulation path necessary to reach an area of refuge.

An area of refuge serves as a temporary haven from the effects of a fire or other emergency. A person with a severe mobility impairment must have the ability to travel from the area of refuge to the public way, although such travel might depend on the assistance of others. If elevation differences are involved, an elevator or other evacuation device might be used, or others might move the person by using a wheelchair carry on the stairs.

Special Note 1

People with limited mobility need to know if there is a usable circulation path from the building they are in. If there is not a usable circulation path, then their plans will require alternative routes and methods of evacuation to be put in place.