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 is a space that serves as a temporary haven from the effects of a fire or other emergency. A person who is blind or has low vision must be able to travel from the area of refuge to the public way, although such travel might depend on the assistance of others.

Special Note 5

A person who is blind or has low vision needs to know if there is a usable circulation path from the building. If there is not a usable circulation path, then the personal emergency evacuation plan for that person will require that alternative routes and methods of evacuation be put in place.