Provisions for the Evacuation or Protection of the Handicapped

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and prior to that, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federally mandated accommodation of the handicapped into the "mainstream" of educational processes, the University has been involved in the elimination of physical barriers to access to facilities and programs.

Regulations calling for the barrier free access to building by the mobility impaired are at times not consistent with the requirements for speedy and unobstructed egress from such buildings. Ramps are fine for approaches to upper levels of multi-storied structures. But, evacuation in the event of a fire is solely by alternate and supposedly equal fire towers, grade level exits, or exits which lead to exterior stairs which turn discharge to grade. So, unfortunately, as mobility impaired individuals travel upwards in a structure, their ability to evacuate quickly lessens with each ascending level.

The University community should be made aware of this situation, and should take the following provisions for protection and evacuation of the handicapped into account:

1. The elevator is great for giving access to upper levels, but it is not to be used for fire evacuation. The power may fail in transit or a door may open upon leveling and stopping on a floor were smoke, fumes, or fire is present, exposing car occupants to lethal conditions.
   
   
2. If the fire is on the floor where the handicapped individual is located, that person should be moved literally away from the fire, then down a safe stairwell as quickly as possible. Involved, may or may not be persons previously trained or familiarized with the emergency handling of the handicapped. Each handicapped individual should have several persons available to assist them in the event of such a contingency, but all persons should be made aware of the plight of the handicapped in emergencies.
   
   
3. In a fire resistive building, for those mobility impaired situated above the fire floor, should be, if exiting is not practical past the involved level, placed in a protected room, preferably with an outside window and or telephone. They should not be evacuated. The reason for this is twofold.
   
   
   1. To eliminate the potential for subjecting the individual to injury or death, and obstructing the utilization of fire towers or other stairs to the ambulatory in situations where panic is a potential and rapid exiting is imperative. This obstruction would increase the possibility of life threatening situations and injury to all.
      
      
   2. To better assure the safety of the handicapped person above the fire floor, then, and room preferably with two (2) hour fire- resistive walls, floor, and ceiling, plus one and a half hour (1 1/2) rated door should be adequate. A window exposure to fresh air is mandatory to assure a life supporting atmosphere in the room. Walls consisting of concrete block or double wall sheet rock construction should suffice.