Determining Gaps in Evacuation Design Practice Affecting People with Disabilities

Abstract

While accessibility in building design is now a widely adopted principle with the industry increasingly adopting inclusive practices, its integration into evacuation provisions remains limited and inconsistently applied across the world. This study examines gaps in evacuation design practices affecting occupants with disabilities through a comparative review of ten building codes and standards, supplemented by evaluation against existing scientific literature. Sixteen evacuation-related design features were assessed across key phases of evacuation. The findings conclude that although current codes and standards include some provisions aimed at inclusive evacuation design, their application remains limited compared to conventional design features based on normative assumptions of occupant ability. Widely implemented features such as audible alarms and exit signage stand in contrast to the limited and often conditional provisions addressing the needs of occupants with functional limitations, including visual alarms, communication systems, and mobility-related features. Significant gaps were identified in the prescribed notification systems, horizontal and vertical movement provisions, and the capacity and usability of areas of refuge. Overall, this uneven provision of design features results in an unequal level of safety for occupants with functional limitations. The study suggests that current practices could be improved through clearer performance criteria and broader application of existing accessibility provisions to include egress routes.

Popular Abstract

In an emergency scenario, most people expect to exit a building quickly and safely when a fire alarm sounds. However, this is not the case for everyone. For many people with disabilities, evacuation can be challenging and, in some cases, even impossible without assistance. This thesis examines whether the current codes and standards require buildings to be designed such that they can support independent evacuation for all occupants.
Buildings are now more accessible than they have ever been in everyday use, with features such as ramps, elevators, and wider doorways. However, this progress has not extended to emergency evacuation. Current evacuation design practices often rely on normative assumptions about occupants' capabilities, leaving people with disabilities at a disadvantage. To better understand this issue, this study reviews ten international building codes and standards and evaluates sixteen evacuation‑related design features within each code and standard, such as fire alarm signal devices, signage, communication systems, elevators, corridor design, areas of refuge, and more.
Key findings reveal a consistent imbalance in design provisions. Widely implemented features such as audible alarms and exit signage are designed for occupants who can hear, see, and move easily. In contrast, provisions that support people with functional limitations, including visual alarms, braille or tactile signage, accessible communication systems, and mobility‑assisting features such as elevators and wider corridors, are often limited, conditional, or inconsistently applied.
It was noted that although accessible routes are provided for daily use by people with mobility‑related challenges, they are not always required for evacuation. Evacuation routes may be too narrow for wheelchair users, and elevators are not intended for independent use during emergencies. As a result, many individuals must rely on assistance, reducing both safety and independence.
This study also highlights limitations in "areas of refuge," which are intended as temporary safe spaces. The design requirements for these areas are likely to lead to undersized spaces with a lack of redundancy and rely on external assistance rather than enabling independent evacuation.
This study also notes issues within the regulatory framework. Codes and standards related to fire safety often defer to accessibility standards, while accessibility standards exclude emergency evacuation and point back to fire safety codes, creating gaps where neither fully addresses evacuation needs for people with disabilities.
Overall, this study shows that current evacuation design practices do not provide an equivalent level of safety for occupants with functional limitations. Despite growing awareness of inclusive design, evacuation provisions remain limited in scope and dependent on unclear conditional requirements.
Improving evacuation design does not necessarily require new technology or design features, rather, in most cases, it simply requires better integration of existing accessibility principles and broader application of existing requirements instead of conditional application of such requirements.

• author: Pathania, Ishaan
• supervisor: Enrico Ronchi
• organization: Division of Fire Safety Engineering
• course: VBRM05 20261
• year: 2026
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Egressibility, Inclusive Design, Egress Provisions
• publication/series: LUTVDG/TVBB
• report number: 5761
• other publication id: LUTVDG/TVBB—5761--SE
• language: English
• id: 9229813
• date added to LUP: 2026-06-02 11:11:06
• date last changed: 2026-06-02 11:11:06