Ten steps to prepare for the accessible evacuation of people with disabilities and the elderly from a building during an emergency
- Map – accessible emergency exits, accessible aisles, accessible safe spaces, accessible shelters, and accessible evacuation points.
- Check that there is a sequence of accessibility without obstacles and with clear direction signage on all accessible evacuation routes.
- Build & guide a team to assist people with disabilities during an emergency.
- Take note of people with disabilities in the place – make sure they know how to act in the various emergency situations.
- Prepare a contact list and methods of assistance in an emergency for those who stay in the building regularly.
- Inform visitors with disabilities where the accessible protected spaces are.
- Make sure that when a siren goes off, everyone knows and understands that they need to evacuate and what the evacuation destination is.
- Listen to the requests of people with disabilities during the evacuation and assist them as much as possible.
- Scan the place after the evacuation, to make sure no one is left behind.
- Remember – during an emergency, people with disabilities and the elderly are more vulnerable due to inaccessible information, unadopted solutions, physical and other difficulties, and more.
Please note – these rules are immediate tips that will help you here and now. They are not a substitute for a professional procedure for evacuating people with disabilities.
Access Israel and the Purple Vest mission calls on organizations to adapt emergency evacuation procedures to the evacuation of people with disabilities worldwide.
Contact us for more information – pvm@aisrael.org
Accessible evacuation during Iron Swords War – Israel 2023
Evacuation of a Bus full of families of children with disabilities from Ashkelon – Israel 2023