Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Deaf and hard of hearing individuals encounter distinct barriers during building fire evacuations, yet empirical evidence on their evacuation behaviour remains largely absent from the Human Behaviour in Fire literature. This study addresses this gap through a mixed methods approach combining an unannounced evacuation drill conducted at an institution for deaf individuals (N = 21) with semi structured interviews (N = 6). The drill was analysed using four behavioural frameworks, namely the Role Rule Model, Affiliation Theory, Social Influence, and Social Identity Theory, alongside a quantitative analysis of pre-evacuation and total evacuation times. Interview data were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that all four behavioural theories are applicable within the deaf group, with evacuation initiated and propagated exclusively through visual and social channels. Since the drill occurred while people were all in the same room, observed mean pre-evacuation time was low (approximately 12 s), with the observed distributional patterns remaining consistent with those reported for the general population (e.g. following lognormal distribution). The interview analysis identified three overarching themes: notification and built environment barriers, visual compensation, and lack of social support. Together, these findings reveal a built environment largely designed around the assumption of hearing occupants, while also highlighting the presence of genuine but context dependent compensatory capacities among deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Overall, the study provides one of the first empirical evacuation datasets specifically examining deaf and hard of hearing occupants in a building fire context, and highlights the need for inclusive emergency design strategies that account for the diverse functional profiles and communication needs of this population, thereby contributing to the growing body of knowledge on Egressibility.
Author: Soubra, Bilal
Institution: Lund University
Language: English
Subfield: Ocean Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7163615349