--- title: "Accessibility and Evacuation Planning in Australia" description: "Accessible evacuation planning in Australia: who is responsible for evacuation chairs in group homes and workplaces, plus PEEPs, refuge areas, accessible egress routes, and AS 3745 duties for people with disability." canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/accessibility-evacuation-planning-people-with-disability source: https://evacpath.com/blog/accessibility-evacuation-planning-people-with-disability --- # Accessibility and Evacuation Planning in Australia > Accessible evacuation planning in Australia: who is responsible for evacuation chairs in group homes and workplaces, plus PEEPs, refuge areas, accessible egress routes, and AS 3745 duties for people with disability. _EvacPath Team · 2026-07-14 · 10 min read_ Responsibility for evacuation equipment such as evacuation chairs is split between the building owner and the employer or occupier. Building owners, or the body corporate in a strata building, are generally responsible for the physical infrastructure, including accessible exit routes, refuge areas, and evacuation chairs in common areas, along with the base-building diagrams that cover those common areas and fire stairs. Employers and occupiers, which in an [NDIS group home](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-ndis-disability-facilities) means the service provider running it, are responsible for tenancy-level planning: identifying staff and regular occupants who need assistance, developing [PEEPs](https://evacpath.com/blog/personal-emergency-evacuation-plans-peep-australia), training wardens in the assistance procedures, and keeping the tenancy diagram current. An evacuation chair is only useful in trained hands, so any warden who may have to operate one must receive hands-on training, and a chair used by an untrained person can injure both the operator and the occupant. The Emergency Planning Committee decides whether the building's occupant profile, floor count, and accessible alternatives such as emergency lifts warrant providing chairs at all and documents that assessment, and where chairs are provided their location must be shown on the evacuation diagram. An evacuation plan that only works for able-bodied people is not a complete evacuation plan, and accessible egress planning depends on the diagram showing the accessible routes, refuge areas, and chair locations that each PEEP then references by name, so the public diagram and the individual plan describe the same path. A diagram serving accessible egress should show: - Accessible exit routes that are step-free, with adequate door widths and surfaces. - All designated refuge areas, labelled clearly. - Evacuation chair and stair descent device locations. - Warden intercommunication points near refuge areas, where installed. - The accessible route from the building exit through to the assembly area. EvacPath has delivered AS 3745-aligned diagrams for care-sector and NDIS settings, from a care-provider office through to a 4-unit NDIS SDA build (see the [case studies](https://evacpath.com/case-studies)), and our diagrams show accessible routes, refuge areas, and evacuation chair locations. [Pricing](https://evacpath.com/pricing) starts at A$70 per diagram. ## Legal Obligations: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and AS 3745 The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) prohibits discrimination against people with disability in a range of areas, including access to premises and the provision of services. In the context of emergency planning, this means employers and facility managers must take reasonable steps to ensure people with disability can evacuate safely. A one-size-fits-all evacuation procedure that ignores mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments may constitute indirect discrimination under the DDA. [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia):2010 (Planning for Emergencies in Facilities) reinforces this directly. The standard requires that emergency planning take into account the needs of all occupants, including those with disability. It places responsibility on the [Emergency Planning Committee](https://evacpath.com/blog/how-to-set-up-emergency-planning-committee) (EPC) to identify occupants who may require assistance during an evacuation and to put in place specific measures to support them. This is not optional guidance. It is a requirement of the standard. Building owners also have obligations under the National Construction Code (NCC) and relevant state building regulations, which may require accessible means of egress to be provided as part of the building's design. The DDA and AS 3745 obligations layer on top of physical building requirements, covering the procedural and planning aspects of accessibility. ## Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, commonly called a [PEEP](https://evacpath.com/blog/personal-emergency-evacuation-plans-peep-australia), is a documented, individual plan that describes how a specific person with a disability or mobility impairment will evacuate the building in an emergency. PEEPs are the cornerstone of inclusive emergency planning and are recognised in AS 3745 as a tool for managing the evacuation of people who cannot use standard exit routes independently. A PEEP should be developed in consultation with the individual. It should identify the nature of their impairment, the specific challenges they face during evacuation, the assistance they require, who is responsible for providing that assistance, and the route they will use. PEEPs should be reviewed regularly and updated whenever the person's circumstances or the building layout changes. Key elements a PEEP typically includes: - Name of the individual and their specific mobility or sensory requirements - Primary evacuation route and any alternative routes - Designated refuge area (if applicable) and procedure for waiting there - Nominated buddy or warden responsible for assisting the person - Communication method (e.g. how to alert the person during an alarm if they are hearing impaired) - Use of evacuation chairs or other equipment, and where that equipment is located - Review date and name of the person responsible for maintaining the PEEP For the operational side of PEEPs (development process, three PEEP types, buddy systems that hold up under stress, drill-testing, audit gaps), see the dedicated [PEEP development guide](https://evacpath.com/blog/personal-emergency-evacuation-plans-peep-australia). ## Designated Refuge Areas: What They Are and Why They Matter A refuge area (sometimes called an area of rescue assistance) is a protected space within a building where a person who cannot use the main exit stairs can wait safely for assistance. Refuge areas are typically located in fire-isolated stair enclosures or in areas with a high degree of fire protection, where the risk from fire and smoke is minimised. They are intended as temporary waiting points, not permanent shelters. Refuge areas are most relevant in multi-storey buildings where a person using a wheelchair cannot independently descend exit stairs. The person waits at the refuge point while a warden communicates their location to fire brigade personnel or building management. Firefighters or specially trained wardens can then assist with evacuation using a stair descent device or evacuation chair. Not every building has formal designated refuge areas. Older buildings may pre-date the requirements or may not have been retrofitted. Building owners should assess whether refuge areas exist, whether they are clearly marked, and whether staff know how to communicate with a person waiting in a refuge area during an emergency. ## How Evacuation Diagrams Should Reflect Accessible Routes and Refuge Areas AS 3745:2010 lists disabled refuge areas as a recommended optional element on evacuation diagrams. While they are listed as optional, the presence of a refuge area in the building makes it a practical necessity to show it on the diagram. Occupants and wardens need to know where these areas are located. Evacuation diagrams serving accessible routes and refuge areas should include: - Clear indication of accessible exit routes (routes free of steps, with appropriate door widths and surfaces) - Location of all designated refuge areas, labelled clearly - Location of evacuation chairs and stair descent devices - Warden intercommunication points (WIPs) near refuge areas, where installed - Any accessible assembly area route from the building exit to the assembly point Diagrams should be oriented and positioned so they are readable from a seated position. AS 3745 specifies a mounting height of 1,200mm to 1,600mm from the floor. For locations where a significant proportion of users may be wheelchair users, mounting towards the lower end of this range is good practice. ## Types of Mobility and Sensory Considerations People with disability are not a homogeneous group. Effective evacuation planning must consider the range of impairments that may affect how someone evacuates, and address each with appropriate measures. Wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments may be unable to use stairs independently. They may require refuge areas, evacuation chairs, or lift-assisted evacuation where emergency lifts are installed. Exit routes must be assessed for step-free access, ramp gradients, and door width. People with vision impairment may not be able to read standard evacuation diagrams or follow visual cues such as exit signs. Tactile diagrams, verbal briefings as part of induction, and trained buddy systems are important supplementary measures. The standard exit signage and audible alarm systems assist significantly, but individual familiarity with the building's exit routes is also critical. People with hearing impairment may not hear a standard fire alarm. Buildings serving people with hearing impairment should consider visual alarm devices (strobe alerts) or vibrating pager systems. PEEPs for hearing-impaired individuals should document how the alarm will be communicated to them and who is responsible for doing so. People with cognitive disability or dementia may become disoriented during an emergency and require personal assistance to evacuate. Clear, simple visual signage and a trained warden assigned as a buddy can make a decisive difference. Emergency plans for facilities such as group homes, disability accommodation, and aged care must give particular attention to this cohort. ## Evacuation Chairs and Their Role An evacuation chair (also called a stair descent device) is a piece of equipment designed to allow a person who cannot walk down stairs to be safely assisted down stair flights by a trained operator. They use a combination of tracks and braking systems that allow a single trained operator to manage the descent safely. Where evacuation chairs are provided in a building, their location should be shown on evacuation diagrams. Wardens who may be required to use an evacuation chair must receive hands-on training. It is not sufficient to simply purchase and store a chair. A chair operated by an untrained person can cause injury. Evacuation chairs are not required in every building. Their necessity depends on the building's occupant profile, the number of floors, and the presence of accessible alternatives such as emergency evacuation lifts. The EPC should assess whether the building's population warrants the provision of chairs and should document that assessment. ## The Buddy System and Warden Responsibilities The buddy system assigns a named individual (typically a colleague or warden) to be responsible for assisting a specific person with disability during an evacuation. The buddy knows the person's PEEP, understands the equipment available, and is trained in how to provide assistance safely. Under AS 3745, wardens have a defined role in assisting people who require help during an evacuation. Warden training should include awareness of the accessible exit routes, location of refuge areas and evacuation chairs, how to communicate a person's location to emergency services, and specific procedures for each PEEP in their zone. Wardens must also consider their own safety. Physically assisting someone down stairs without proper equipment or training can injure both the warden and the person being assisted. The correct approach in most buildings is to escort the person to the designated refuge area, confirm they are safe, communicate their location, and await trained emergency service personnel or the designated stair descent equipment. ## Building Owner Obligations vs Employer Obligations The responsibilities for accessibility in evacuation planning are divided between building owners and the employers or occupiers within the building. Building owners (or the body corporate for strata buildings) are generally responsible for the physical infrastructure: accessible exit routes, refuge areas, emergency lighting along accessible paths, and evacuation chairs in common areas. They are also responsible for base-building evacuation diagrams that cover common areas, fire stairs, and refuge areas. Employers and occupiers are responsible for their own tenancy-level planning: identifying staff and regular visitors with disability, developing PEEPs, training wardens in assistance procedures, and maintaining up-to-date tenancy evacuation diagrams that show accessible routes within the tenancy. This split of responsibility means both parties need to communicate and co-ordinate. A building with excellent accessible infrastructure but an employer who has never considered PEEPs is not fully compliant. ## Common Gaps in Accessibility Evacuation Planning Despite legal obligations and standards, accessibility is frequently the weakest element of emergency planning in Australian buildings. Common gaps include: - No PEEPs in place for known staff or regular visitors with disability - Refuge areas not shown on evacuation diagrams or not clearly signed in the building - Evacuation chairs purchased but wardens never trained to use them - Accessible exit routes blocked by stored equipment, furniture, or building works - Fire alarm systems without visual alert components in areas used by hearing-impaired occupants - Buddy systems assigned on paper but never tested in evacuation drills - Evacuation diagrams mounted too high for wheelchair users to read easily - No consideration of visitors or contractors with disability during high-occupancy events Addressing these gaps does not always require significant capital expenditure. Many improvements are procedural: writing PEEPs, training wardens, testing the buddy system in drills, and updating evacuation diagrams to show refuge areas and accessible routes. These are actions that any business can take now, regardless of building age or budget. ## Practical Tips for Inclusive Evacuation Planning Practical steps to improve accessibility in your evacuation plan: - Survey all staff and regular visitors to identify anyone who may need assistance during evacuation - Develop a PEEP for each person identified, in consultation with that person - Walk the accessible exit routes physically to check for obstructions, surface conditions, and signage - Confirm that refuge areas are clearly marked and that wardens know where they are - Include accessible evacuation procedures in warden training sessions - Test PEEPs during evacuation drills, with the consent and participation of the individuals involved - Update evacuation diagrams to show refuge areas, evacuation chair locations, and accessible routes - Review all PEEPs annually and whenever the person's circumstances or building layout changes ## How EvacPath Can Help EvacPath produces AS 3745:2010-compliant evacuation diagrams for Australian buildings of all types. Our diagrams can clearly show accessible exit routes, designated refuge areas, evacuation chair locations, and other accessibility-relevant elements that ensure your diagrams are genuinely useful for all occupants. We work entirely remotely from your floor plans. No site visit required. Print-ready PDF diagrams are delivered in 3 to 5 business days. Pricing is straightforward: A$70 per diagram, with the Basic Package at A$280 for up to 4 diagrams and the Standard Package at A$420 for up to 8 diagrams. If your building has accessible routes and refuge areas that are not yet reflected on your current diagrams, now is a good time to bring them up to date. Contact EvacPath to get started.