Small-scale Studies on Evacuation Characteristics of Pedestrians with physical, mental or age-related Disabilities

Evaluation of evacuation process is common separated by two phases: pre-movement and movement-phase. Individual capabilities of pedestrians have an impact on both and therefore on the time required for safe escape. In view of evaluating the evacuation process, characteristics of realistic movements of pedestrians involved are needed, but so far such data are mainly available for individuals with unrestricted evacuation capabilities only.Due to the lack of available data, parameter studies in an assisted living for people with disabilities were performed to explore the movement during evacuation. Preparation times for assistance (n=10), unimpeded walking speeds (n=34) depending on the assistance devices in the plane as well as walking speeds on stairs (n=11) were focussed.Time to prepare an assistance device for utilisation depends significantly on the kind of device type. Further on, practical experience in handling the devices for assistance has an impact on the preparation time. In contrast to the results of the preparation times, any relation on assistance devices were investigated for the unimpeded walking speed in the plane. A remarkable decrease of walking speed on stairs was observed which is independent from the utilised assistance device.The presented data improve and extend the insufficient engineering data base and raised up questions regarding the complexity of considering pedestrians movement with impairments in evacuation planning