[bluGill]

For a building I've always questioned if we should make it accessible, for safety reasons. When a building starts on fire and if you are in a wheelchair you are much more likely to die: no using the elevators, you can't use the stairs or the fire escape.

In my opinion we should require that all buildings be accessible on the ground floor(s). Those who medically cannot handle stairs should be given priority to the ground floor. (this includes any store that might want to sell to handicapped)

Of course wheelchairs are only one type of accessibility. Deaf and/or blind people can be expected to need some accommodation as well, but their needs are much different (and cheaper!) than the wheelchair bound.

[mjevans]

In all well designed public buildings the emergency stairwells are actually isolated air-spaces (when the doors are shut). Their ventilation systems should draw from a location likely to be free of smoke and they should be at a higher pressure than every possible entry point so that they are positive pressure.

In such setups the /landings/ are life safety zones where those in wheel chairs can wait until rescue arrives to literally carry them down the stairwell (a stair sled might be a good for the rescuers).

It seems that internationally (recently the UK) laws and building codes are not as strict.