Evaluating Egress for People with Disabilities using Virtual Reality

Fire safety remains a global challenge, especially for people with functional limitations who face additional barriers when evacuating buildings during emergencies. As populations age and accessibility improves, more people with disabilities use public buildings yet evacuation designs rarely reflect their needs. This project, conducted at Lund University, forms the first phase of a broader PhD research program focused on inclusive evacuation design. This first phase will specifically develop and validate virtual reality (VR) evacuation scenarios that realistically represent building fire emergencies for diverse users, including individuals with mobility disabilities. These scenarios will later be used in controlled experimental studies to compare real-world and VR-based evacuation behaviour.
Using immersive VR allows researchers to study evacuation safely and cost-effectively, without the risks or ethical challenges of traditional physical experiments. The project will draw on principles from fire safety engineering, accessibility, and human factors to design realistic and inclusive virtual environments.
Outcomes from this phase will establish the foundation for future experimental work, advancing both the methodology and evidence base for egressibility research. Ultimately, this research aims to improve building design, policy, and evacuation planning to better protect people with disabilities during fire emergencies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mohamed Beshir

Student:

Partner:

Lund University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Carleton University

Program: