Employers' Guide to Including Employees with Disabilities in Emergency Evacuation Plans

Sensory Impairments:

• Employers should install lighted fire strobes and other visual or vibrating alerting devices to supplement audible alarms. Lighted strobes should not exceed five flashes per second due to risk of triggering seizures in some individuals. Section 4.28 of the ADAAG specifically addresses alarms.

• Employers may want to provide alerting devices, vibrating paging devices, wireless communicators, or two-way paging systems to alert individuals with hearing impairments of the need to evacuate.

  • Locate information on paging devices from JAN's SOAR at http://AskJAN.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Sol493.

  • Locate information on alerting devices from JAN’s SOAR at http://AskJAN.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Sol419.

• Employers should install tactile signage and maps for employees with vision impairments. Braille signage, audible directional signage, and pedestrian systems are also available. These products may benefit other people who must navigate smoke-filled exit routes.

  • Locate information on tactile signage from JAN’s SOAR at http://AskJAN.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Sol231.

  • Locate information on tactile graphics and maps from JAN’s SOAR at http://AskJAN.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Sol401.

• Employers may also want to provide alpha-numeric pagers or other communication devices to individuals with speech impairments so they can communicate with personnel in an emergency.

  • Locate information on communication aids from JAN’s SOAR at http://AskJAN.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Sol267.