Emergency preparedness is an accessibility issue – and we’re getting it wrong
After more than ten years working in accessibility, I’ve learned that it’s not just what’s written in an emergency plan that matters – it’s whether the plan actually works for everyone.
As a Certified Accessibility Professional under the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification Program (RHFAC), I’ve led built environment audits in libraries, public service buildings, and other community spaces and I’ve also consulted with municipalities and organizations on how to make their spaces, services, policies, and programs more accessible. In a past role, I was proud to lead the content development of the RHFAC rating standards themselves. Even more than technical expertise, my work is grounded in something simple and vital: listening to disabled people and centering lived experience in every audit, every design recommendation, and every emergency scenario I encounter.
Too often, emergency preparedness assumes everyone can move quickly, see signage clearly, hear announcements, and process instructions under stress. That assumption is dangerous. When we don’t account for access, we’re putting people at risk and signaling that their safety is less important.
Emergency planning should never start with policies – it should start with people.
When the fire alarm goes off, who gets left behind?
Picture this: the fire alarm rings, but you’re Deaf and sitting alone in the washroom. There’s no strobe light. No vibrating alert. No one around to notice. Or you’re a wheelchair user, and the only accessible entrance is also the only exit – and it’s now blocked. These aren’t hypothetical, they’re situations I’ve encountered again and again in the audits I conduct.
In one site I audited, the designated emergency exit led to a gravel path and down a steep slope –inaccessible for someone using a wheelchair or walker. At another location, the emergency notification system relied solely on an overhead PA system with no visual indicators, leaving Deaf or hard of hearing visitors without any alert. As one staff member admitted, “We rely on verbal announcements. That wouldn’t work for some of our regular patrons – but we don’t have a backup plan.” In several libraries, emergency exit signage was mounted too high to be seen by wheelchair users or children, and there were no tactile signs or Braille to support blind or low vision patrons.
Real barriers. Real stories. And real change.
Here are just a few of the accessibility gaps I’ve documented through audits and interviews:
- No visual alarms in key areas: In multiple buildings, flashing strobe alarms were missing from washrooms, meeting rooms, and staff areas.
- Inaccessible exit routes: One facility’s alternate exit was behind a heavy door and down a narrow, cluttered hallway – not accessible for someone with a walker, never mind a power chair.
- No designated areas of refuge: Especially in multi-storey buildings without accessible emergency egress, this omission leaves mobility device users without safe options
- No evacuation chairs or training: Most multi-storey buildings lacked evacuation chairs entirely. In the few places where they did exist, staff were not trained in how to properly use them – rendering them ineffective in an actual emergency.
- Unreadable or missing signage: In several buildings, emergency plans and exit signage were printed in small font, mounted too high, or not available in Braille or with symbols.
- Staff left without guidance: Several public-facing employees told me they’d never received any emergency training that included accessibility or disability scenarios.
This isn’t about individual failings, it’s about fixing the systems that fail all of us.
Simple, effective actions that make a real difference
The good news? You don’t need to tear down a building to make it safer. Many improvements, aligned with RHFAC standards, are surprisingly simple and cost-effective. Here are a few that make a real difference:
- Install visual and audible alarms in all public spaces, especially washrooms and enclosed rooms. Strobe lights should be placed where they can be seen from all angles and are synchronized with audible alerts.
- Ensure emergency exits are usable by everyone. This means level thresholds, clear door widths, power door operators, and push bars that require minimal force to open. Avoid storing items in exit pathways, and make sure the surface outside the exit is firm, slip-resistant, and free of hazards like gravel or steep slopes.
- Provide clear, accessible emergency signage. Use large, high-contrast text, tactile lettering, and Braille. Include internationally recognized symbols like the green running man to indicate exit routes. Position signage at consistent heights (including at seated eye level) and install it at all key decision points, not just at doorways.
- Ensure life safety equipment is accessible to all. Fire pull stations, fire extinguishers, and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) should be mounted at accessible heights, typically between 900 mm and 1100 mm from the floor, and be unobstructed by furniture or fixtures.
- Designate and mark Areas of Refuge in multi-storey buildings where elevators may not be usable during emergencies. These should be clearly signed, accessible by wheelchair, and equipped with communication devices or protocols for alerting emergency services.
- Use tactile wayfinding indicators, like directional floor strips or textured tiles, to guide blind or low-vision users from major circulation points to emergency exits.
- Develop inclusive emergency response plans and provide staff training. Plans don’t need to be perfect but they should at least include simple steps for supporting people with different needs.
- Consult with disabled people. Whether you’re updating your building or writing your first evacuation policy, involve those with lived experience. No checklist can replace the insights of people who actually use these spaces.
These examples are just a starting point. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive checklist for accessible emergency preparedness, but a few key actions to consider as you strengthen your emergency plans.
When safety isn’t for all, it isn’t safety at all
When emergencies happen, it’s not about whether your building passed inspection – it’s about whether people can actually get out safely. Your visitors aren’t thinking about codes; they’re thinking about whether someone considered their needs long before the alarm started ringing.
Everyone deserves to be safe in an emergency. With the right planning and commitment to inclusion, we can make that a reality.
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Lison Daubigeon is a Certified Accessibility Professional under the RHFAC program with over a decade of experience advancing accessibility and inclusion across Canada and internationally. She has led accessibility audits of public libraries, community facilities, and service buildings, and has consulted with organizations and public entities on improving the accessibility of their programs, services, policies, and built environments. Lison brings a unique blend of technical expertise and applied research, using surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gather lived experience data that informs practical, equity-centered improvements. Her work is grounded in Universal Design principles and a commitment to ensuring accessibility is meaningful, inclusive, and community-driven.