The Egress Enabler: Development and psychometric evaluation of an instrument to measure egressibility

Abstract

BackgroundEgressibility has been defined as a person–environment fit issue and describes accessibility to means of evacuation. Although egressibility concerns everyone, it has become a useful concept particularly in relation to safety and accessibility for people with functional limitations, commonly highlighted as a vulnerable group in egress scenarios. Egressibility is an important safety factor, but there has been limited efforts trying to quantify it. ObjectiveThe aim has been to develop an instrument to measure egressibility in public buildings, as well as conducting initial psychometric testing of the instrument. MethodsThe Egress Enabler is based on the previously developed Housing Enabler instrument. The Egress Enabler was developed in several steps by an interdisciplinary team, incorporating an expert panel and a case study. ResultsEvaluation of content validity was in line with previous similar efforts, inter-rater reliability was considered “good” to “excellent” by means of intraclass correlation, and qualitative assessment of construct validity showed theoretically sound results. ConclusionsIt is suggested that an instrument like the Egress Enabler is needed for a systematic evaluation of egressibility during design. construction or operation. This is needed for ensuring equal access to egress for people with functional limitations.