Become familiar with the buildings you frequent and the stairwell locations. If you are working with an Orientation and Mobility specialist to become familiar with campus, include training in escape routes.

Give thought in advance to whether you will need someone to guide you during an evacuation. Safety is the priority, whether or not you normally use a human guide. You are responsible for recruiting a volunteer and providing instructions on how to assist you. Your guide may feel that he or she is no longer needed once you are evacuated from the building. If you want someone to stay with you in the unfamiliar surroundings, let them know that you continue to need their help. Even if you feel that you do not need a guide, you may want to recruit a volunteer to walk alongside you in case something on the way out interferes with clear evacuation.

Be aware that emergency conditions may alter your normal mobility techniques. For example, you may be independent in mobility using a cane, but find that in the dense crowd of an evacuation you do not have enough space to tap the cane. A smoke-filled room could possibly impair a guide dog's sight or sense of smell. Low vision individuals may find their remaining vision decreased due to darkness or smoke.