Sometimes accessibility means life or death

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Do you live in a flat? Could you easily escape incase of a fire? 41% of all the Disabled residents of Grenfell tower died in the blaze. We believe everyone should have the chance to escape a fire.

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Harrow campaigns - Project PEEPs - wants all Disabled people to have their own Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, which is specifically designed to help you escape a fire. We can help you develop one that is just right for you, for the block you live in and to meet your access needs.

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On 14 June 2017, a high-rise fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London. 72 people died (including 15 disabled people), with more than 70 others being injured and 223 people escaping.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission report expressed particular concern around the placing of disabled people, including wheelchair users, on upper storeys of tower blocks without any consideration about how they could escape in a fire or other emergency. The report considered disabled people had faced discriminatory treatment amounting to breaches of the right to life, the right to safe, adequate housing; and the right to freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, further noting that degrading treatment continued after the fire with disabled people being housed in inaccessible premises.

Following the report, the Government decided that all disabled people in high-rise housing should be given a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, also known as a PEEP (the later reneged on this decision)

The aim of a PEEP is to provide people who cannot get themselves out of a building unaided with the necessary information and assistance to be able to manage their escape to a place of safety and to ensure that the correct level of assistance is always available.

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Regardless of the governments stance it is Harrow Campaigns 

target to address this issue and get PEEPs in place for Disabled residents in the borough of Harrow. We believe this can be achieved and are happy to lead the fight for this recommended policy (The Grenfell Tower Inquiry).

If you feel that you should have an evacuation plan in place and would like our support achieving this, please contact us using the form below.

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