 Assisting People with Disabilities
People who live with disabilities will usually, but not always,
know best what kind of of assistance they will need. Be sure to ask how
you may help them before going ahead.
Keep in mind that practicing the evacuation
techniques outlined in this guide will improve your performance in a real
emergency. Our main focus here is on assisting persons with mobility-related
disabilities.
Wheelchairs...
Most literature states that the wheelchair
should be left behind in an evacuation. The individuals we consulted (who
use wheelchairs) disagree strongly with this. A person's wheelchair is their
means of mobility and, without it, they need continuing support and assistance.
NOTE: Evacuating
a person in a power wheelchair either up or down stairs, is extremely difficult.
The battery is usually located at lower back of the wheelchair, making it
very awkward to tilt the chair backward for ascent or descent of stairs.
Moreover, power wheelchairs are very heavy. For these reasons, our following
recommendations and specific techniques are for people using a manual wheelchair. | 