As detailed in the NFPA Life Safety Recommendation and by the ADA it is required that each building is to have accessible means of egress (ADAAG 4.1.3(9), 4.3.10), but does not specify a solution. During most emergencies, the preferred method of egress — elevators — are out of service for safety reasons. The EVAC+CHAIR^® serves as an effective means of exiting a multistory building for handicapped or incapacitated individuals. THE EVAC+CHAIR^® CAN BE YOUR SOLUTION!

FURTHER LEGISLATION

United States Access Board Required Compliance with the IBC

Evacuation plans and procedures should address the needs of all facility occupants, including those with disabilities. Mobility aids, such as emergency stair travel devices, also known as evacuation chairs, are available to transport people unable to use stairs. The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), www.resna.org, has developed consensus Standards for emergency stair travel devices through the American National Standards Institute (RESNA ED- 1. It is important that evacuation chairs be located so that they do not obstruct required means of egress.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 501:

Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in Federal employment and applicants for employment. Federal agencies are required to make reasonable accommodations for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities.

Disability Discrimination & Reasonable Accommodation:

A reasonable accommodation is any change in the work environment to help a person with a disability apply for a job, perform the duties of a job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990:

The Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment (Title II), in public accommodations.

PART 1630—REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE EQUAL EMPLOYMENT PROVISIONS OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Section 1630.2(o)Reasonable Accommodation: One of these is the accommodation of making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities.

MARYLAND HOUSE BILL 1061:
Education – Emergency and Evacuation Plans – Individuals With Disabilities

Requiring the State Department of Education, in consultation with disability advocacy groups, to
update specified guidelines to accommodate, safeguard, and evacuate students, staff, and visitors with disabilities on public school grounds; requiring each local school system, on or before July, 2018.

CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY BILL 3098:

The newly passed Assembly Bill 3098 implements new emergency and disaster plan requirements for all Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE’s) in California. Each RCFE must have an evacuation chair at each stairwell by July 2019.