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Disability Access & Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness 

While emergencies can occur at any time, planning and preparation is the cornerstone to being as safe as possible following an emergency or event on campus. UCLA is committed to the safety of all students, staff, faculty, and visitors, with or without disabilities. Below is an outline of UCLA’s emergency features, campus-wide plans, and building-specific resources for individuals with disabilities and Access and Functional Needs (AFN).

Evacuation Chairs

High traffic, multi-story buildings and university-owned housing facilities have emergency evacuation chairs installed in strategic locations. Multi-story buildings also have Areas of Safe Refuge, designated locations where individuals, particularly those with mobility impairments, can safely wait during an emergency if evacuation routes are inaccessible. These areas are often located in stairwells or near exits and have signage with instructions on how to connect individuals with emergency responders, ensuring assistance reaches them during evacuations. Areas of refuge are typically fire-rated and provide protection until rescue teams arrive.

Individual Evacuation Planning 

Students with disabilities (temporary or permanent) are eligible to receive a wide variety of services offered by the Center for Accessible Education (CAE), including individualized assessments of their emergency preparedness needs for times when they are in class or on campus. These accommodations are designed specifically to meet the disability-related needs of each student. To receive these services, a student should contact their Disability Specialist or make a request through our Self-Identification Survey form. All contact and assistance are handled confidentially.

Staff or faulty registered with Employee Disability Management Services (EDMS) are supported by Disability Management Consultants who are focused on reducing the impact of disability on employees and their departments. Employees can also receive an individualized assessment of their emergency preparedness needs by requesting a personalized consultation as well. 

Consultations are an opportunity for individuals to discuss their specific needs in the event of an emergency evacuation. This includes making a go bag checklist, downloading the BruinALERT app on their phones, and taking other important preparatory steps. 

Individual personalized consultations may cover:

  • Review of building plans showing Areas of Safe Refuge for evacuation assistance, location of evacuation chairs in specific buildings, accessible routes, and Emergency Assembly Areas once outside of a building.
  • Itemizing what is needed in an emergency go bag.
  • Scripting instructions for those assisting you during the evacuation.
  • An email introduction to the Department Safety Coordinator and/or Building Coordinator. 
  • Registering for BruinALERT and downloading the Bruins Safe app for campus emergency information. 
  • Scheduling a building evacuation walk-through/observation upon request.

 

Additional Resources, Information, and Services

In addition to the resources provided by CAE and EDMS, our Campus Safety Resources are available to support your safety on campus, and our Emergency Procedures are essential for ensuring the safety and well-being of the UCLA community. Familiarity with these protocols can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and property damage while accelerating the restoration of normal campus operations.

  • Inclusive Evacuation Signage: In partnership with Facilities, UCLA Fire, Emergency Management, and Housing, campus is installing signage that contains elements and identifiers for disability-related items (areas of safe refuge, evacuation chairs, accessible exits, etc.) in the event of an emergency. 
  • Evacuation Chairs: To ensure evacuation chairs are readily available in an emergency, we can help Department Safety Coordinators, Building Coordinators, and others identify and purchase these chairs if they don't already have them. If a student, staff, or faculty member requests a chair during their consultation, we will notify the appropriate person(s) so that one can be provided. 
  • Evacuation Drills: While evacuation drills are only required in Housing facilities, we are available to assist with evacuations, including evacuation chair usage in emergency drills. You can assist in the evacuation of people with disabilities by learning how to evacuate using an evacuation chair. These chairs are purpose-built to assist first responders with removing a person from a building who cannot evacuate due to a mobility disability or obstructed elevators.