About Event
Building evacuation plays a vital role in emergency situations such as fires, earthquakes, or other disasters.
It is crucial to acknowledge that individuals with disabilities encounter distinctive obstacles during high-rise evacuations, necessitating specific considerations and accommodations.
To ensure the safe evacuation of people with disabilities from high-rise buildings, as well as any other building during emergencies, a comprehensive approach is indispensable ensuring that the overall egress process and address the unique needs and challenges faced by individuals with disabilities
As community expectations for the care and inclusion of people with disabilities continue to rise, driven by improved education, knowledge, and technological advancements, it has become increasingly important to integrate these individuals into the mainstream workforce. A critical aspect of this integration is ensuring that building designs, particularly in high-rise structures, are inclusive and safe for all occupants, including those with disabilities.
Incorporating evacuation models into the design process is essential, especially within the framework of performance-based design, which is now widely used in the industry. This approach emphasizes the need for stakeholder involvement throughout the design process to ensure that the unique needs of people with disabilities are adequately addressed.
One of the most pressing issues in current emergency egress provisions is the lack of safe, independent evacuation options for individuals who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters. Compounding this problem is the widespread policy that discourages the use of lifts during a fire, even when they are designed as emergency lifts. The public’s reluctance to use lifts during emergencies further exacerbates the challenge. Without a robust system and well-designed procedures, people with disabilities working in high-rise buildings may find it difficult to evacuate safely and may struggle to receive assistance during an emergency.
The accountability of architects, design engineers, building surveyors, certifiers, builders, and regulators has intensified, particularly through post-incident analyses. Industry professionals must adopt more rigorous processes to justify their designs and approvals, ensuring they meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). This growing emphasis on accountability means that these professionals could be called upon to justify the compliance of their designs and approval processes in the event of a legal challenge
