No Child Left Behind: Why Lucas’s Story Must Change School Evacuation Policy in The UK

No Child Left Behind: Why Lucas’s Story Must Change School Evacuation Policy in the UK

When the fire alarm rang out at Lucas’s school last November, students and staff rushed to evacuate the building. But Lucas, a bright, funny, and determined 16-year-old with cerebral palsy, couldn’t follow them. His mobility needs meant that while his peers made it to safety, he was left alone—terrified, waiting for help to arrive.

There was no proper evacuation equipment. No trained staff on hand to assist him. Just a vulnerable teenager, trapped and frightened during a real emergency.

This is a story that should never have happened. Yet, for thousands of children across the UK with physical disabilities, it’s a harsh reality. School fire drills and emergency plans often overlook those with mobility impairments. And when it comes to real emergencies, those oversights can become dangerous or even deadly.

Lucas’s experience has become the catalyst for something urgent and long overdue. He is now leading a campaign to make evacuation chairs and proper staff training a legal requirement in all UK schools—and he needs our help.

His petition at bit.ly/4jy3oOu is gathering support, but it needs thousands more signatures to get the attention of government policymakers. This is not just a campaign. It’s a call for equality, safety, and basic human dignity.

What Happened to Lucas Should Never Happen Again

Lucas was forced to wait alone during an actual fire. Imagine being 16, unable to move without help, and knowing everyone else has evacuated while you’re stuck in a potentially life-threatening situation. It’s not just terrifying—it’s inhumane.

Why was there no system in place? No properly trained personnel? No evacuation chair or stair climbing device to ensure his safety?

The answer lies in a gaping hole in legislation and a dangerous lack of awareness in school emergency planning.

What Are Evacuation Chairs and Stair Climbers?

Evacuation chairs—especially those provided by companies like The Stair Climbing Company—are designed specifically to help people with limited mobility evacuate safely in emergencies. These devices allow a single trained person to assist a non-ambulant person down stairs quickly and securely.

But the innovation doesn’t stop at evacuation chairs. Motorised stair climbers take accessibility to the next level. These battery-powered devices can transport wheelchair users up or down stairs, meaning that disabled students are not only safer during emergencies, but also enjoy greater daily access to areas of their school that may not be served by lifts.

When you combine both tools—evacuation chairs and stair climbers—you create a school environment that’s prepared for both inclusion and emergency response.

The Real-World Benefits of Stair Climbers in Schools

1. Emergency Evacuation: During fires or lift breakdowns, motorised stair climbers provide a fast and reliable way to evacuate wheelchair users without waiting for emergency services.
2. Access Beyond Lifts: In many schools, not every building has a lift. A stair climber makes those parts of the school accessible—meaning more freedom, more inclusion, and less isolation.
3. One-Person Operation: Devices from The Stair Climbing Company are designed to be operated by just one trained staff member. That means no more delays waiting for multiple people or complex hoists.
4. Training Support: Reputable companies like The Stair Climbing Company also provide on-site training, ensuring that staff are confident and competent to use the equipment when it really counts.

A Legal Requirement Is the Only Way to Guarantee Safety

Right now, there is no legal obligation for UK schools to provide evacuation chairs or stair climbers. That’s unacceptable. Lucas’s experience is proof that leaving these decisions to individual schools isn’t enough.

Children with disabilities are entitled to the same level of safety as everyone else. That means robust evacuation plans, trained personnel, and the right equipment—in every school.

Lucas’s petition is calling on the government to legislate this. The aim? To make it mandatory for schools to have:

• At least one evacuation chair in every multi-storey building.
• Properly trained staff available at all times.
• Equipment like stair climbers for schools where lifts don’t reach every level.

You Can Help: Sign and Share Lucas’s Petition

This isn’t just about one boy or one school. It’s about every child who has ever felt excluded, unsafe, or left behind because of poor planning and neglect.

We have the technology. We have the training. We have companies like The Stair Climbing Company providing brilliant solutions.

What we need now is the will to act.

Please take a moment to sign Lucas’s petition: bit.ly/4jy3oOu.
Then share it with your friends, your school, your local MP, your social media feeds—everywhere.

Let’s make sure what happened to Lucas never happens again.

Lucas stood alone during that fire. But now he stands up for thousands like him. It’s time we all stood with him.