On 16 August 2021, the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (“MLMUPC”) informed the Head of the Department of Land Management, Urban Planning, Construction and Cadastral (“HDLMUPCC”) to strictly enforce implementation of the technical standards pertaining to accessibility for disabled persons pursuant to Prakas No. 248 on the Accessibility of Disabled Persons(“ Prakas No. 248”). An unofficial English translation of Prakas No. 248 may be accessed here.

This implementation applies to infrastructure projects that serve the public – such as administration buildings, educational institutions, health centers, residential buildings, Boreys, hotels, restaurants, markets, and factories – in accordance with the following requirements:

• All construction projects that apply for a construction permit shall provide accessibility to the facility for disabled persons. This includes providing entrances and passageways, ramps, safe stair railings, accessible toilets, elevators, and parking lots, as well as visible public signs and symbols along the road, slope, or walkway, in accordance with the technical standards of physical infrastructure accessibility for disabled persons.
• Monitor and supervise the construction work to implement correctly in accordance with the blueprint that is approved by a competent authority as part of the construction permit.
• In cases where a building is constructed but does not comply with the physical accessibility requirements for disabled persons, the authority shall not issue an occupancy certificate of such building.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Matthew Rendall, Lim Veasna, or Tor Revit at SokSiphana&associates (a member of ZICO Law).

(This alert is for general information only and is not a substitute for legal advice.)