Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans or "PEEPS" as there more commonly known are

evacuation plans that are produced in consultation with a disabled person should a building such as a workplace or hotel need evacuating in an emergency.
In my whole life I have only ever had two "PEEPS" produced, one while I was employed as a civil servant and the other when I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Stratford upon Avon.  This is pretty poor considering the amount of stays that I have had in hotels.

At one  Holiday Inn Express in London  which is independently owned and operated by Atlas Hotels ltd under licence from IHG Hotels limited has never mentioned producing a "PEEPS" to me on the countless times I have stayed there between June 2014 - May 2015.  This hotel only has two accessible rooms (005 and 015) and we have often had to book a family room when they are not available.  Even when I have booked these rooms I have asked for certain rooms (003 and 006) because the step in shower is on the left in the shower room and easier for me to navigate.  I have stayed at this hotel an average of two times a month and the staff knew us very well but not once was a "PEEPS" discussed with me.

On two occasions the fire alarm was sounded.  The first time we were in a family room and the alarm sounded around 6am and we were woken up from a dead sleep.  My friend help me get some clothes on and we were about to leave the room when the alarm stop, later that morning we were told it was someone who had not shut the bathroom door when showering.  The second time I was in an accessible guestroom and it was early evening and the alarm went off and we left the room and made our way down the corridor towards the reception and was informed it was someone smoking with their window open.  On both these occasions no member of staff came and knocked on our door to see if I was alright or needed help, they knew I was disabled and I am only grateful that we were on the ground floor.  On one occasion there was a mix up and for one night we were on the 2nd floor      

The hotel only has one lift and that is dodgy at the best of the times and too be totally honest I was worried sick in case the fire alarm sounded as I had no idea how I would evacuate the building.  I cannot use stairs and I had no idea if they had an evac chair or trained staff on duty.

I have not stayed at that Holiday Inn Express for a few months and after a couple of incidents I'm in no hurry to go back but if I do I will ask for a "PEEPS" to be produced.   As far as I am aware there is legistlation that states that disabled people should be made aware that a "PEEPS" may be required.  I was unaware what a "PEEPS" was until I had my first one produced and there maybe disabled people out there that are equally unaware.  I am also not sure if it is something that the hotel reception should mention or if it is up to the disabled guest.  If it is for the hotel to mention I have never had anyone ask me apart from the one time.  From my own understanding it is not only guests in accessible guestrooms that should be offered a "PEEPS" but anyone staying in the hotel who is disabled, as we all know there are never more than a couple of accessible rooms so there are always people who are in standard accommodation.  

Doing research into hotels has become a bit of an eye opener I am finding all sorts of things that I was totally unaware.  

I think that hotels do not have enough information about disability or the needs and wants of the disabled person, I believe that if they want to get things right from the design of accessible guestrooms to facilities and health and safety they need to ask disabled people.