COVER STORY
ENSURING DIGNITY, SAFETY AND EQUALITY
Wheelchair users do not have to be transferred out of their wheelchairs during an evacuation; there are devices that take the user and their wheelchair. Here, Evaccess emphasises the importance of inclusive evacuation.
Imagine living day to day in a custom, specialised wheelchair which has not only cost the price of a car, but enables you to manoeuvre the world freely and independently. Now imagine that you must leave it behind in a fire evacuation, knowing that there are evacuation chairs available which can carry your custom wheelchair.
INTRODUCTION TO EVACCESS
For over 20 years Evaccess have provided evacuation devices that enable a person to remain in their wheelchair. Many forward-thinking organisations, such as schools, universities, arenas, stadiums, public buildings and venues, have made the decision to preserve the dignity of wheelchair users and implement powered evacuation chairs into their evacuation plan.
However, despite legal obligations and ethical responsibilities, many buildings still fail to provide a safe and effective means of evacuation for those who need assistance.
At Evaccess, we specialise in assisted evacuation devices (AEDs) that provide dignified, safe, and effective evacuation solutions. We understand the risks of using the wrong equipment and the dangers of poorly planned evacuation routes.
We offer expert guidance on:
• Choosing the right evacuation equipment. • The importance of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs).
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• How to train your team to confidently handle emergency evacuations.
EVACUATION IN WHEELCHAIRS: SOLUTIONS
Would an evacuation plan be allowed if reaching a safer area meant that someone would have to lose a limb? No? Then why, when there are options available, are evacuation plans passed which involve the transfer of a wheelchair user?
Evaccess has provided six powered options for wheelchair evacuation for over 20 years, making the company the forerunner for fully inclusive evacuation services.
Feedback from multiple questionnaires has listed manual handling, speed and price as the primary concerns for companies buying evacuation chairs.
Evaccess offers solutions to all of these concerns. Evaccess chairs require simple operation by one trained individual. The speed is fine-tuned to provide a safe, level passage on a stairway, yet not fast enough to incite the loss of control. Additionally, this concern should be dispelled with the knowledge that the powered chairs will remain level and motionless without a button being constantly held down.
Despite there being multiple pricing options, can you really put a price on an individual’s dignity and future accessibility?
LEGALITIES AND MORAL OBLIGATIONS
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