Evacuation

In the event of an evacuation, assisting others can greatly improve outcomes. Here are some tips to assist those with visual disabilities, hearing impairments, and mobility impairments. 

Assisting Persons With Visual Impairments

Explain the nature of the emergency. Alarms or confusion may disorient a person, even when normally familiar with the area.

Guide the student (or provide someone to do so). Students will take the guide's arm below the elbow and will follow. Tell the student where you are as you walk. Advise of any obstacles in the path.

When you have reached safety, orient the person to where he or she is and ask if any further assistance is needed before leaving. 

Assisting Persons With Hearing Impairments

Get the person's attention by flashing room lights, waving your arms, or tapping the person's shoulder. When you would like to explain what to do, gesture what is happening or write on paper or whiteboards.

Assisting Persons With Mobility Impairments

First, ask the person if they have special mobility needs or requirements. Persons using wheelchairs can be pushed or accompanied to safety. Persons using canes, crutches, or walkers can evacuate themselves or be accompanied to safety.

When encountering stairwells or when a rapid evacuation is required, persons using assistive mobility devices may need to be maneuvered differently. Unless the situation is imminently life threatening, first call Campus Safety or other trained college staff and wait for help before transferring persons. Special evacuation chairs may be used for stairway evacuation or to transport injured or non-ambulatory persons.

Special evacuation chairs are wall-mounted near the following stairwells:

• Science and Math Building: 2nd Floor in the North Exterior Hallway within the Custodial Closet.