Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides
Area of refuge: what it is and what the ADA requires
An area of refuge is a fire-rated, smoke-protected space next to an exit stairway where people who cannot use the stairs can call for help and wait to be evacuated (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge). The 2010 ADA Standards do not describe one in their own words: section 207 sends you to the International Building Code, the 2000 edition with its 2001 Supplement or the 2003 edition (2010 ADA Standards, 207.1), and the ADA adds its own rules for the signs, the call box and the elevators around it. This guide puts both together, with the section each rule comes from.
This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.
What an area of refuge is
The 2010 Standards describe areas of refuge in an advisory note: fire-rated spaces on levels above or below the exit discharge level where people unable to use stairs can go to register a call for assistance and wait for evacuation (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.4). Advisory notes explain the rules; they do not set enforceable requirements of their own (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(b)). The U.S. Access Board guide adds what the space is made of: it is fire-resistance rated and smoke protected, and it gives direct access to an exit stairway, or to an elevator equipped with standby power (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge).
In practice it is usually a marked spot on a landing inside the enclosed exit stairway, or a space right next to the stairway enclosure, kept outside the width the stair needs for everyone else (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes). It is not a place where people are left behind: on floors above or below the exit level, accessible means of egress lead to exit stairways, horizontal exits or elevators with standby power, and checking those places first for anyone needing assistance is standard operating procedure for emergency responders (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Exit Access on Floors Above (or Below) the Level of Exit Discharge).
The term comes from the definition of an accessible means of egress: a continuous and unobstructed way of egress travel from any point in a building that provides an accessible route to an area of refuge, a horizontal exit or a public way (2010 ADA Standards, 106.5). A horizontal exit, which lets people leave the area where a fire starts for another part of the building protected by fire-rated walls and doors, can substitute for an area of refuge (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge and Horizontal Exits).
What the 2010 ADA Standards require: section 207
- The rule: means of egress comply with section 1003.2.13 of the International Building Code (2000 edition and 2001 Supplement) or section 1007 of the 2003 edition (2010 ADA Standards, 207.1). Those IBC editions are incorporated by reference, and where they differ from the 2010 Standards, the Standards apply (2010 ADA Standards, 105.2 and 105.2.4).
- How many: the number comes from the IBC that section 207.1 references. The advisory to 105.2.4 explains that the IBC requires at least one accessible means of egress for every accessible space, and at least two where more than one means of egress is required (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.4); in the Access Board’s words, accessible spaces must be served by at least two accessible means of egress, with few exceptions (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Accessible Means of Egress). The IBC asks for two means of egress from almost every space; a business with no more than 30 occupants and an exit access travel distance of 75 feet at most may have one; at 500 occupants there are at least three, and at 1,000, four (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Required Means of Egress).
- Exceptions in the ADA itself: accessible means of egress may share a common path of egress travel where the local building or life safety code allows it for means of egress, and areas of refuge are not required in detention and correctional facilities (2010 ADA Standards, 207.1, exceptions 1 and 2).
- Platform lifts: where the IBC lets a platform lift be part of an accessible means of egress, it has standby power (2010 ADA Standards, 207.2). The lift itself is in ADA platform lift.
- New buildings, not alterations: the IBC requirements for accessible means of egress apply to new construction; they do not have to be added in alterations to existing facilities (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Required Means of Egress). They also apply to employee work areas (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Common Questions).
- Later IBC editions: a building that follows a newer edition may comply under equivalent facilitation if the result is comparable to the referenced editions or stricter, and the Access Board says it plans to update the references (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Required Compliance with the IBC).
| Building | Area of refuge | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system that complies with the IBC | not required | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge |
| Open parking garages and apartment buildings | not required | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge |
| Open exit stairways between floors in buildings with sprinklers that meet NFPA 13 | not required | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge |
| Detention and correctional facilities | not required | 2010 ADA Standards, 207.1, exception 2 |
| An interior area of refuge used at an exit instead of an accessible route to the public way | required, sprinklers or not | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Exit Discharge |
Inside an area of refuge: wheelchair spaces, stairs and the call box
| Element | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair spaces | one space of at least 30 by 48 inches for every 200 occupants, or portion thereof, served by the area of refuge | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes (IBC 1007.6, 2003) |
| Where the spaces go | they cannot reduce the required egress width, and each is entered directly from an accessible route or from one adjacent wheelchair space | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes |
| Stairs | stairs serving areas of refuge have a clear width of at least 48 inches between handrails, for assisted evacuation | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes |
| Two-way communication | audible and visual signals, connected to a central control point, and to a public telephone system if that point is not constantly attended; its location is approved by the fire department | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes |
| Controls of the call box | usable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, with 5 pounds (22.2 N) of force at most | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes; 2010 ADA Standards, 309.4 |
| Posted instructions | next to the call box: how to use it in an emergency, directions to other means of egress, that people who can use the stairs do so as soon as possible unless they are assisting others, and how assistance with the stairs or with elevators is planned and summoned | U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes (IBC 1007.6.4, 2003) |
| Instructions, lettering | visual characters complying with 703.5: non-glare finish and contrast, light on dark or dark on light; they do not have to be tactile | 2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.2 and 703.5.1 |
The figures for the space, the stairs and the call box are IBC rules that the 2010 Standards bring in through section 207.1; the Standards themselves only set the lettering of the instructions and the operable parts. If a stair is part of the means of egress, its treads, risers and handrails also follow section 504 of the ADA, explained in ADA stair requirements and ADA handrail requirements.
Area of refuge signs: 216.4.2, 216.4.3 and the accessibility symbol
- The sign at the door. The IBC requires doors to areas of refuge to be identified by a sign with the words “AREA OF REFUGE” and the International Symbol of Accessibility (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Area of Refuge Identification (IBC 1007.6.5, 2003)). The symbol does not have to be raised, and the sign can be combined with the exit sign (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Area of Refuge Identification, figure notes).
- Tactile, because it names a space. Signs identifying permanent rooms and spaces comply with 703.1, 703.2 and 703.5, with raised characters, braille and visual characters (2010 ADA Standards, 216.2), and the Access Board applies that rule to signs identifying stairways, floor levels and areas of refuge (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Tactile and Visual Signs). Tactile characters go 48 to 60 inches (1220–1525 mm) above the floor, measured to their baseline (2010 ADA Standards, 703.4.1), alongside the door on the latch side (2010 ADA Standards, 703.4.2).
- The symbol itself. It follows Figure 703.7.2.1, with a non-glare finish and contrast with its background (2010 ADA Standards, 703.7.1 and 703.7.2.1). Its history and where else it is required are in accessibility symbol.
- Instructions inside: 216.4.2. The signs the IBC requires to give instructions in areas of refuge comply with 703.5, the rules for visual characters (2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.2).
- Directions to it: 216.4.3. The signs the IBC requires to give directions to accessible means of egress comply with 703.5 as well (2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.3). The IBC places them at elevators serving accessible spaces and at exits that do not provide an accessible means of egress (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Visual Signs).
- Exit doors: 216.4.1. Doors at exit passageways, exit discharge and exit stairways are identified by tactile signs (2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.1).
The raised characters and braille of those signs, their size and spacing, are in braille signage.
Two-way communication: section 708 and the call box
Section 708 is the 2010 Standards’ own chapter on two-way communication systems: they provide both audible and visual signals (2010 ADA Standards, 708.2), handset cords, where there are any, are at least 29 inches (735 mm) long (2010 ADA Standards, 708.3), and the systems between an apartment and the building entrance support voice and TTY (2010 ADA Standards, 708.4.1 and 708.4.2). Its scope is set by 230.1: it applies where a two-way system is provided to gain admittance to a building, or to restricted areas within it (2010 ADA Standards, 230.1).
The call box in an area of refuge comes from the IBC instead, through 207.1, and it asks for the same pair of signals: audible and visual, so that a deaf caller can see that the call went through and a blind caller can hear it (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes). The ADA applies its rules for operable parts to its buttons (2010 ADA Standards, 309.4).
Inside an elevator, the emergency two-way communication system follows the reach ranges of section 308, with tactile symbols and characters next to it (2010 ADA Standards, 407.4.9): 15 to 48 inches (380–1220 mm) above the floor for an unobstructed forward or side reach (2010 ADA Standards, 308.2.1 and 308.3.1).
Evacuation with elevators
The 2010 Standards say it plainly in an advisory note: typical elevators are not designed to be used during an emergency evacuation, while evacuation elevators have standby power and other features of the elevator safety standard and can be used to evacuate people with disabilities. The accessible means of egress may use exit stairways and evacuation elevators when they come with horizontal exits or areas of refuge (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.4).
- When one is required: in buildings with four or more stories above or below the level of exit discharge, at least one accessible means of egress is an elevator with standby power and emergency signaling devices (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Elevators with Standby Power (IBC 1007.4, 2003)).
- Not both: only one of the two accessible means of egress can be such an elevator. In sprinklered buildings it is not required on floors with a horizontal exit, except floors below the level of exit discharge, or with a compliant exit access ramp (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Elevators with Standby Power, figure notes).
- Who drives it: these elevators keep working when the regular power is lost, and emergency responders use them to move their crews and equipment and to carry out assisted rescue. Like all elevators, building occupants are not to use them on their own in an emergency (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Elevators with Standby Power).
- The everyday elevator: it follows section 407 and ASME A17.1 (2010 ADA Standards, 407.1); its car, doors and buttons are in ADA elevator requirements.
So the sequence in a fire is this: people who can use the stairs leave by them, unless they are helping someone; a person who cannot goes to the area of refuge, or to the elevator with standby power, presses the call button and waits; responders check those places first and bring the person down by stair or by elevator (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Exit Access on Floors Above (or Below) the Level of Exit Discharge; Areas of Refuge, figure notes).
For the stairs there are emergency stair travel devices, or evacuation chairs, with rollers, treads and brakes, so that one person can take another down. RESNA publishes a standard for them, RESNA ED-1:2013, and the Access Board says it is important to keep them where they do not obstruct a required means of egress. The Access Board also recommends that evacuation plans address the needs of every occupant, people with disabilities included (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Fire Safety Evacuation Planning).
At ground level: the exterior area for assisted rescue
Accessible means of egress end at a public way, such as a street or an alley. Where steep ground makes an accessible route from the exit to the public way impracticable, the IBC allows an exterior area for assisted rescue right outside the exit, or an interior area of refuge at the exit; used that way, they are required even in sprinklered buildings (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Exit Discharge).
The exterior area is at least 50 percent open, so smoke does not build up; the building has a fire-rated separation of at least one hour within 10 feet of it; its exterior stairway is at least 48 inches wide between handrails; and it has one wheelchair space of at least 30 by 48 inches for every 200 occupants it serves (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Exterior Area for Assisted Rescue, figure notes (IBC 1007.8, 2003)).
How to check an area of refuge
If you manage a building, or you want to know where you would wait in an emergency, five things are visible without opening a code book:
- The door sign. “AREA OF REFUGE” with the accessibility symbol, in raised characters and braille, 48 to 60 inches high on the latch side (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Area of Refuge Identification; 2010 ADA Standards, 703.4.1 and 703.4.2).
- The call box. A light and a sound when the call connects, and a button you can press with one hand (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes; 2010 ADA Standards, 309.4).
- The instructions. Posted next to the call box, readable, saying how to use it and what happens next (2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.2).
- The space. A marked wheelchair space of at least 30 by 48 inches that does not take up the width of the stair (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes).
- The way there. Directional signs at the elevators and at exits without an accessible means of egress (2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.3; U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Visual Signs).
No area of refuge on the floor does not always mean a missing one: a building sprinklered throughout may not need any (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge). Then it is worth asking how the evacuation plan handles people who cannot use the stairs. For what the ADA asks of an existing business, see ADA compliance; the 2010 Standards chapter by chapter are in 2010 ADA Standards.
Areas of refuge and Braillito Maps
Braillito Maps does not record areas of refuge or evacuation plans. It is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.
Some of them sit close to this page. Braille signage tells you whether the signs of a place can be read by touch, which is what the 2010 Standards ask of the sign that names an area of refuge. Audible signals tell you whether alerts can be heard, not only seen. And the step-free entrance and the wide doorway decide whether you can get in and move through the building at all.
Each question is answered yes or no, or stays without data until someone knows. The score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, and its color always appears next to the number, never on its own. If what a place says is wrong, it can be reported. Meet Braillito Maps.
Frequently asked questions
What is an area of refuge?
A fire-resistance rated, smoke-protected space with direct access to an exit stairway, or to an elevator with standby power, where people who cannot use the stairs can call for help and wait for assistance (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge; 2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.4).
Does the ADA require an area of refuge?
Through the building code. Section 207.1 requires means of egress to comply with the 2000 or 2003 International Building Code (2010 ADA Standards, 207.1), which calls for areas of refuge in some buildings and not in others, such as buildings sprinklered throughout (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge). They are never required in detention and correctional facilities (2010 ADA Standards, 207.1, exception 2).
What does an area of refuge sign need?
The words “AREA OF REFUGE” and the International Symbol of Accessibility, under the IBC (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Area of Refuge Identification), in raised characters and braille because it names a permanent space (2010 ADA Standards, 216.2). The instructions inside only need visual characters (2010 ADA Standards, 216.4.2).
How big is an area of refuge?
It holds one wheelchair space of at least 30 by 48 inches for every 200 occupants, or portion thereof, that it serves, outside the required egress width (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge, figure notes).
Can you use an elevator to evacuate in a fire?
Not a typical one. Evacuation elevators, with standby power, can be used to evacuate people with disabilities (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.4), but they are run by emergency responders, not by occupants on their own (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Elevators with Standby Power).
What is the difference between an area of refuge and a horizontal exit?
An area of refuge is a protected space where you wait for help next to a stairway; a horizontal exit lets you leave the area of the fire for another part of the building protected by fire-rated walls and doors. A horizontal exit can substitute for an area of refuge (U.S. Access Board guide to accessible means of egress, Areas of Refuge and Horizontal Exits).
More accessibility guides
- ADA elevator requirements: car dimensions, door width and timing, call button height, audible and visible signals, and braille on the jambs and buttons.
- Braille signage: which signs need braille under the ADA, how high they go, on which side of the door, and the size of the dots.
- Accessibility symbols: what the wheelchair symbol means, where it is required and the other access symbols.
- ADA platform lifts: where a wheelchair lift may replace a ramp or an elevator, platform size, doors and gates, controls and use without an attendant.
- ADA stair requirements: riser height, tread depth, nosings, open risers, landings and which stairs the 2010 Standards cover.
- 2010 ADA Standards: what each of the ten chapters covers, since when the Standards apply and to which buildings, with the guide for each element.
- ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
- All accessibility guides
Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.
- Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4: Accessible Means of Egress. U.S. Access Board, read October 2026.
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
Braillito Maps
Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps
In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions. One is braille signage: whether signs or buttons can also be read by touch. Another, separate one is the braille menu. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.
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