Co-Designing Inclusive Emergency Response System with Disabled People and Fire Rescue Services

This interdisciplinary project aims to address this gap by developing and testing a data-driven, inclusive evacuation system.

This interdisciplinary project addresses the critical gap in emergency evacuation for disabled people by developing a data-driven, inclusive evacuation system. Informed by the failures exposed in the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the project engages disabled residents in East London, the London Fire Brigade, building managers, and inclusive design experts in co-designing a dynamic, AI-powered platform for Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs). The system will integrate real-time data, assistive technologies, and global best practices to ensure responsive, individualised evacuation support. Through stakeholder consultations, iterative prototyping, and simulated fire drills, the project will evaluate the system’s effectiveness and inform policy recommendations.

Led by experts in inclusive design, humanitarian practice, and disability advocacy, the project ensures ethical, user-centred innovation. It aims to empower disabled individuals, equip first responders with actionable data, and support councils in improving emergency preparedness. The outcome will be a scalable, transferable model for inclusive evacuation planning in diverse urban contexts.