Mobility Impaired Person

A mobility impaired person is a person with a physical, mental or sensory impairment, either temporary or permanent, who requires assistance to evacuate during an emergency. The term is defined in Australian Standard AS 4083 for health care facilities.

The definition is broader than physical mobility alone. It also includes people whose sensory or cognitive impairment prevents them from evacuating unaided, as well as people with a short-term impairment such as a post-operative patient or a staff member with an injury.

In a health care facility, many patients are non-ambulant and rely on hospital staff to evacuate. Most are also unfamiliar with the building layout and emergency procedures. AS 4083 therefore addresses mobility impairment in two ways:

• Patients: supplementary plans record patient dependency for each area, so staff know the level of assistance needed.
• Staff: the emergency needs of mobility impaired staff are assessed when they start employment or when the impairment arises.