A perspectiva das pessoas com deficiência e pessoas com mobilidade reduzida no abandono de auditório sob o olhar da segurança contra incêndio

Abstract

The pursuit to ensure the rights of people with disabilities in social inclusion is gaining increasing global attention and physical access to buildings emerges as one of its primary forms. However, the subject of buildings’ "egressibility", understood as the conditions for evacuation in emergencies does not develop with the same intensity. In the projects of the public meeting places, reserved areas for people in wheelchairs, seats for individuals with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility are required, as well as the presence of exit routes that meet these groups’ needs. In this context, this work searched for answers in the perception of people with disabilities and reduced mobility regarding their safety during the emergency evacuation of an auditorium, a public meeting place. The hypothesis is that the group safety during an auditorium evacuation depends on the spatial configuration of the exit routes, and the evacuation plan, but mainly on the behavior of those involved. The research, classified as qualitative and exploratory, used semi-structured questionnaires, field visit, observation method, and group interviews. An auditorium that met the fire safety regulations and accessibility requirements was used. Participants were selected based on exclusion criteria based on physical, age and health characteristics, as well as availability. At the auditorium, simulated evacuation events were promoted to collect field data. The results show that the hypothesis was confronted by the observation of interdependency between available spatial conditions and the efficiency of the applied procedures toward the complexity of human behavior. The research provides data that may subsidize improvement proposals for projects and the development of adjustment modules for more accurate simulation software.