The new issue of NFPA Journal discusses accessibility issues

It is comforting to know that new, code-compliant buildings offer occupants, regardless of their mobility issues, safe egress systems, says Ron Coté, principal life safety engineer at NFPA. In buildings that are fully protected by an approved, supervised sprinkler system, provisions of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code®, permit a floor to serve as an area of refuge, even if it does not have special fire-rated or smoke-resistant barriers. The area may become smoky and potentially frightening to someone who remains behind when most others have evacuated, but the area should not be endangering. NFPA 101 also requires the area of...