Toward the Characterization of Building Occupancies for Fire Safety Engineering: Capabilities of Disabled People Moving Horizontally and on an Incline

This paper is the second in a series of four that collectively provide a substantial body of knowledge on the egress capabilities of disabled people. Here, the results are given from an experimental program designed to determine the capabilities of disabled people to move on horizontal and inclined planes, broken down by presence or absence of a locomotion disability, degree of assistance required, and mobility aid used. The results of this study are presented in a form that is of use to all those involved in the difficult task of characterizing buildings and their occupants, which, it is suggested, are not mutually exclusive activities.