Lee Wilson is the creator of the ‘Accessible Means of Egress Icon’

Lee Wilson recently undertook extensive research whilst developing a guide to assist workplaces to manage their obligations to provide a safe work environment. The guide also helps to identify strategies to increase safe egress for people with disabilities, or with other emergent limitations during an emergency.

The design for the Accessible Means of Egress Icon was created late one night, whilst working on our computers and surrounded by research papers, piles of books, and scraps of papers with notations when an idea came.

Concept for accessible means of egress icon

From this idea, we developed an initial accessible exit sign design with the ‘Running Man‘ and a pictogram figure using a wheelchair, based on the ISO 7001 principles. This was quickly developed into the current design.

The use of accessible exit signs, adopting the Accessible Means of Egress Icon as an international standard would help address and close this gap.

Inclusive Design Approach

The introduction of the ‘Accessible Means of Egress Icon’ onto accessible exit signage changes the current discriminatory approach to exit signs in buildings and present a fully inclusive design.

Accessible Exit Sign Project Running Man Wheelchair Wheelie Man Symbol Accessible Means of Egress Icon Exit Sign 2

The Combined ‘Running Man’ and Accessible Means of Egress Icon are working together to escape the building. They move in unison. They display the same urgency and motion. They appear to be travelling at the same speed. This is an inclusive design.

A Sense of Movement and Motion

The heads on both figures are forward, showing their haste. Arms are extended and motioning back and forth as they move through the doorway. The Accessible Means of Egress Icon is consistent in design with the ‘Running Man’.

Consistent Approach

The  Accessible Means of Egress Icon design is also consistent the figures shown within  ISO 7001 and the ISO International Language of Graphical Symbols Booklet, including the ‘Running Man’.

Detail of Movement of Running Man and Wheelie Man

The wheelchair design also includes a hatched line in a similar approach to the proposed new access symbol developed by Sara Hendren & Brian Glenney, as part of the Accessible Icon Project being used in many areas now to identify accessible car parking spaces and building entrances.

Provision of the hatched line gives the image a sense of motion (and style), but more importantly allows the symbol to be used as a stencil for painting walls adjacent to accessible exit doors.

The Figures Dissected

The upper bodies are identical. Arms are extended in the same style. Legs are also the same style. Both Figures graphically represent the same message.

The Running Man and Wheelie Man Dissected

This website does not offer signage for sale. However, licenses are available for manufacturers to commercially produce signage using the designs shown on this website, including the use of the ‘Accessible Means of Egress Icon’.