Annex III

A Sample Illustrative Outline
of Access Legislation ^(*1)

Many countries in the region are in the process of formulating access legislation to help persons with disabilities and elderly people. The sample outline below of access legislation may serve as one of many reference resources to facilitate efforts in that direction.

This outline is based on inputs provided to the Expert Group Meeting on the Promotion of Non-Handicapping Environments convened by ESCAP in Bangkok from 6-10 June 1994.

PROMOTION OF ACCESS to AND USE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT NO. .... OF (YEAR)

CHAPTER I
PREAMBLE

1. Short title, extent and commencement

1. This Act is called the "Promotion of Access to and Use of the Built Environment by Persons with Disabilities Act of (year)".
2. The Act extends to the whole of the country/territory.
3. It shall come into force on such a date as the competent authority may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2. Application and scope

1. This Act shall apply to:
   1. All types of buildings and related structures;
   2. All public facilities and utilities, including facilities relating to education, training, employment, health, religion and culture, sports, communications and information;
   3. Roads and inland waterways; and
   4. All means of public transport including surface, water, railway and air transport.
2. The Act covers access requirements of all disability groups in different features of the built environment.

3. Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,

1. "Accessible", means features which make the use by persons with disabilities of a structure or amenity easier or more convenient;
2. "Alteration" means a change from one occupancy to another or a structural change, such as an addition to the area or height, or the removal of part of a building, or any change to the structure, such as the construction of, cutting into or removal of any wall, partition, column, beam, joist, floor or other support for a change to or closing of any required means of ingress or egress or a change to the fixtures or equipment;
3. "Barrier-free" means an unhindered and unobstructed built environment to enable persons with disabilities free access to and use of its different features;
4. "Building" means any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever material constructed and every part thereof, whether used as human habitation or not, and includes foundations, plinths, walls, roofs, chimneys, plumbing and building services, fixed platforms, verandas, balconies, cornices or projections, parts of a building or anything affixed thereto or any wall enclosing or intended to enclose any land or space, and signs and outdoor displays, structures, monuments, memorials or any contrivance of a permanent nature or stability built under or over ground;
5. "Building Access Standards" means specifications for means of access to a building for persons with disabilities as prepared and notified from time to time by the relevant Access Board, as defined in the Act, for the implementation of this Act;
6. "Building operations" include rebuilding operations, structural alterations of or additions to buildings and other operations normally undertaken in connection with the construction of buildings;
7. "Built environments" include buildings, public facilities, roads, inland waterways and transport systems, and information and communications systems;
8. "Persons with disabilities" means persons who have either orthopaedic disabilities, visual impairments, speech and/or hearing impairments or an intellectual disability, if the degree of disability or impairment is such so as to bring an individual within the category of a person with disabilities according to the national definition of the term;
9. "Exit" means a passage, channel or means of egress from any building, storey or floor area to a street or other open space of safety;
10. "Horizontal exit" means exit in the form of a protected opening through or around a fire wall or a bridge connecting two buildings;
11. "Regulations" means a regulation made under this Act by the competent authority;
12. "Rules" means a rule made by the competent authority under this Act; and
13. "Vertical exit" means an exit used for ascent or descent between two or more levels including stairways.

CHAPTER II
THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TO EQUAL ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

4. The rights of persons with disabilities to access to and use of different features of the built environments

All persons with disabilities shall have a legally enforceable right of access to education, training, employment, accommodation, health care, sports, communication, information, transport and other similar public facilities.

5. The Governments obligation to incorporate the access requirements of persons with disabilities

1. The Government at different levels shall be under an obligation to provide for access requirements of persons with disabilities in different features of the built environment either through its own agencies or through the private sector, both by giving financial support and ensuring compliance with this Act.
2. For this purpose, the Government at different levels shall not approve master urban development plans and rural development plans unless the access requirements of diverse disability groups are incorporated into such plans in accordance with the access standards and design criteria notified and in force in this respect.
3. The respective Governments at different levels shall each year devote a reasonable percentage of the total approved expenditure for such development plans to the promotion of access for disabled persons.

6. The inclusion of access requirements for persons with disabilities in layout plans

All layout plans to be prepared for the implementation and execution of master urban development plans and rural development plans shall be finalized after taking into consideration the space requirements and other related factors necessary for the promotion of access to persons with disabilities.

CHAPTER III
CONSTITUTION AND FUNCTIONS OF ACCESS BOARDS

7. The appointment of Access Boards by central, provincial and local or municipal Governments

1. As soon as possible after this Act comes into force, the Governments at the central, provincial and local levels shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute, for the purposes of this Act, Access Boards at their respective levels.
2. The Access Boards shall be corporate bodies having perpetual succession and common seals with power to prepare and notify the Building Access Standards as well as access standards and design criteria with regard to public facilities, roads, inland waterways and public transport systems, to promote access for persons with disabilities to the built environment.

8. The composition of Access Boards

Each of the boards at the national, provincial and local levels shall consist of:

1. A chairperson, to be appointed by the respective Government, who has the requisite experience in promoting the access of persons with disabilities to the built environment and other relevant qualifications for guiding the work of the Board; and
2. Representatives of:
   1. Government departments responsible for urban development, rural development, transport and communications, and information; and
   2. Non-governmental organizations working with diverse disability groups, including self-help organizations of people with disabilities. There shall be an equal balance between the number of representatives from government departments and non-governmental organizations.

9. Powers of the Government at the central, provincial and local levels to frame rules for the appointment and conditions of service of staff of Access Boards at the respective levels

Governments at the central, provincial and local levels shall frame rules with regard to the appointment of staff and their conditions of service, as well as the financial business of the respective Access Boards.

10. Functions of Access Boards

1. The Access Boards shall primarily be responsible for ensuring the implementation and monitoring of this Act and for this purpose they shall prepare and notify access standards and design criteria, and also revise these periodically.
2. The Access Boards shall be under an obligation to perform all the functions which have either been stipulated in this Act or which may be considered necessary or incidental to the performance of such functions.
3. The Access Boards at the central, provincial and local levels shall work in close consultation with each other with a view to developing uniform access standards and design criteria.

11. Resource mobilization

Access Boards at the respective levels shall be provided with budgets composed of a reasonable percentage of the government-approved expenditure for the construction and maintenance of the built environment. In addition, the Access Boards may mobilize private sector resources for the fulfilment of their functions.

CHAPTER IV
ACCESS TO AND USE OF BUILDINGS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

12. The construction, repair, or renovation of buildings in accordance with the Building Access Standards

All types of buildings, including residential, commercial, educational, industrial, health centres, hospitals, and other public buildings, shall be allowed to be constructed, repaired or renovated only in accordance with the provisions of this chapter as well as the Building Access Standards prepared and notified by the Access Board from time to time in consultation with the provincial Access Boards, local Governments, professional institutions, non-governmental organizations concerned with people with disabilities and authorities or agencies charged with the overall responsibility of urban and rural development.

13. The construction of buildings to the satisfaction of the Access Officer

All existing and proposed buildings to which persons with disabilities have a right to access, or may reasonably be expected to have access or use, shall be constructed or modified, as the case may be, to make them accessible and usable by disabled persons in accordance with the requirements of the Building Access Standards to the satisfaction of the Access Officer appointed for this purpose in the office of the competent authority constituted for the purpose of issuing permits to construct buildings.

14. The necessity of a certificate from an Access Officer before the granting of a permit

The competent authority shall not issue any permit to erect, re-erect, make alterations to or demolish any building or cause the same to be done unless the Access Officer has certified that the proposed work is in conformity with the Building Access Standards.

15. The preparation of Building Access Standards by the National Access Board

1. The Access Board shall prepare the Building Access Standards taking into consideration the access needs of diverse disability groups, such as persons with mobility, speech, hearing, visual and/or intellectual impairment.
2. The Building Access Standards may include:
   1. Ingress and egress access requirements;
   2. Dimensional requirements for entrance doors;
   3. Provision and dimensions of ramps;
   4. Width and location of doors;
   5. Location, dimensions and structural designs for washrooms and toilets;
   6. Location and dimensions of elevators and lifts;
   7. Location and dimensions of parking areas and spaces;
   8. Location and dimensions of handrails or thresholds;
   9. Location and dimensions of sanitation facilities, including water taps;
   10. Floor requirements including colour-contrasting materials to be used and requirements to facilitate orientation outside or within the building;
   11. Furniture, fixtures, and fittings requirements;
   12. Location of electric control buttons and panels;
   13. Signs and displays, both audio-visual and tactile, used at the entrances, within and at the exits of buildings; and
   14. Other access requirements relating to architectural design, communication and information.
3. The Building Access Standards notified by the Access Board shall be a part of the prevailing Building Codes and in case of any conflict between the provisions of the Building Access Standards and the relevant Building Codes, the provisions of the Building Access Standards shall prevail.

16. Notice of intention to construct

Every person who intends to erect, re-erect or make alterations to any place in a building or demolish any building or any part thereof shall give notice in writing to the competent authority as well as to the Access Officer of such an intention in the prescribed form (Appendix I) and such notice shall be accompanied by plans, statements and specific proposals with regard to the incorporation of the requirements of the Building Access Standards. Such notice shall also be supported by a declaration from the owner or person proposing to carry out such work under any title to the effect that such work shall be carried out in accordance with the Building Access Standards.

17. The consideration of an Access Officers report before granting or refusing a building permit

The competent authority, before taking a decision on the notice given in accordance with Section 16, shall consider the report of the Access Officer on such a notice and thereafter may either sanction or refuse the plans and specifications, or may sanction them with modifications or directions as it may deem necessary to incorporate access requirements in accordance with the Building Access Standards, and shall communicate its decision to the person giving the notice in the prescribed form.

18. The revocation of building permits

The competent authority may revoke any building permit issued wherever there has been any false statement, suppression or any misrepresentation of material facts about the observance of the Building Access Standards in the application on which the building permit was based.

19. Notice of intent to start construction

1. Neither the granting of the permit nor the approval of the drawings and specifications, nor any inspection made by the authority during the erection of the building shall in any way relieve the owner of the building from full responsibility for carrying out the work in accordance with the Building Code and the Building Access Standards.
2. Before starting the building work on a site for which a building permit has been granted, the owner, within the validity of the period sanctioned, shall give notice to the Access Officer as well as the competent authority of the intention to start the work at the building site in the proforma given in Appendix II. The owner shall start the work within seven days from the date of such notice.

20. Inspection by the Access Officer during construction

During the construction work, it shall be the responsibility of the Access Officer to inspect or cause to be inspected the work to ensure compliance with the Building Access Standards.

21. Procedure in the case of deviation from approved plans during construction

If, during the construction of a building, any substantial departure from the sanctioned plan is intended to be made by way of internal alterations or external additions, the sanction of the Access Officer as well as the competent authority shall be obtained, the revised plan showing the deviations shall be submitted, and the procedure laid down for the original plan shall apply to all amended plans.

22. Occupancy certificate

1. The Access Officer, along with the competent authority, on receipt of the notice of completion, shall inspect the work and communicate the sanction or refusal or objections thereto in the proforma given in Appendix III within 60 days from the date of receipt of notice of completion.
2. If nothing is communicated within the prescribed period, it shall be deemed to have been approved by the authority for occupancy.
3. In no case shall the competent authority issue the occupancy certificate without the approval of the Access Officer.

23. Appeal to the Provincial Access Boards

Any person aggrieved by the order granting or refusing a building permit, granting or refusing an occupancy certificate or any consequential or incidental decision or action on the grounds of non-compliance with the Building Access Standards, may appeal to the Provincial Access Board, the decision of which shall be final.

24. Accessible unit ratio

The number of units accessible and usable by persons with disabilities required to be constructed and developed in difference types of buildings shall be modified by the National Access Board from time to time.

25. The time frame for making existing buildings accessible

1. All existing buildings shall be modified to meet access requirements in accordance with the Building Access Standards within the period prescribed by the respective Access Board.
2. The Access Board may take into consideration the purposes for which buildings are intended in deciding the time-frame for making existing buildings accessible and usable by persons with disabilities.

26. Exemptions

1. In the following cases, buildings shall be exempted from the operation of this Act, as well as the Building Access Standards notified from time to time by the National Access Board, provided that the Access Officer has granted such exemption:
   1. Where the surroundings of a building are such that, due to physical constraints, it may not be feasible to carry out necessary additions or alterations to incorporate the access requirements as laid down in the Building Access Standards;
   2. Where, due to the historical or religious significance of a building, it may not be feasible to make structural changes;
   3. Where a new or an old building is proposed to be used or is being used by an owner as a personal residence.
2. The exemptions granted are subject to the owner of such buildings being obliged to notify the competent authority and the Access Officer at regular intervals the current status of such buildings.

27. Additional permissible floor area ratio

In the case of buildings which fall within the purview of this Act and the enabling Building Access Standards and where the provision of access requirements is proposed, an additional floor area ratio may be allowed by the competent authority.

CHAPTER V
ACCESS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES

28. The accessibility of public facilities

Governments at the central, provincial and local levels shall ensure that all public facilities developed, constructed, erected or allowed to be operated are designed in a manner which makes them accessible and usable by persons with disabilities.

29. The accessibility and usability of existing public facilities by persons with disabilities

1. All existing public facilities falling under the jurisdiction of Governments at the respective level shall also be required to be made accessible and usable by persons with disabilities within the prescribed period as notified by the respective Access Board.
2. For this purpose, Governments at the central, provincial and local levels shall subsidize the costs of modification of existing public facilities under their respective jurisdictions.

30. The preparation and notification of access standards for all types of public facilities by Access Boards

1. The Access Board at the central level shall prepare, in consultation with concerned government agencies, Access Officers, non-governmental organizations working with disabled persons, the owners of public facilities, as well as Access Boards at the provincial and local levels, access standards and notify these to those concerned.
2. The access standards may include:
   1. Access requirements relating to physical structures (e.g., toilets, classrooms, work places and recreational areas) and the use of assistive devices (e.g., hearing aids, guiding blocks and wheelchairs) in facilities intended for all citizens, including those with diverse disabilities;
   2. Access requirements relating to the education, training and employment of persons with disabilities;
   3. Access requirements relating to communications services (e.g., equipment for making post and telecommunications services accessible and usable by diverse disability groups); and
   4. Access requirements of diverse disability groups with regard to the different means (television, telephones, telecommunications devices for deaf persons [TDD], facsimile machines, computers, radio, audio and video cassette tapes, and Braille) of information exchange and dissemination, making public information and other related facilities usable by persons with disabilities.

The above list of the matters for consideration by Access Boards for the preparation of access standards is illustrative and not exhaustive and the Access Board may consider any other matter which it deems fit while preparing and finalizing the access standards for public facilities.

31. The appointment of Access Officers in government offices regulating public facilities

The central and the provincial Governments shall appoint Access Officers in the offices which are responsible for issuing permission/licences to establish public facilities. At least one Access Officer shall be appointed in each office.

32. The necessity of the concurrence of an Access Officer for the granting of a licence or permission to establish any public facility

No licence or permission shall be issued or renewed for the establishment or continuance of any public facility unless the Access Officer concerned is satisfied that it is in accordance with access standards of such a public facility notified by the National Access Board from time to time and concurs for the issuance or renewal of such a licence or permission.

CHAPTER VI
ACCESS TO ROADS AND INLAND WATERWAYS

33. Accessibility to all roads and inland waterways

All roads and inland waterways shall be designed in accordance with the design criteria for accessible roads and inland waterways prepared and notified from time to time by the National Access Board in this respect.

34. The preparation and notification of design criteria for accessible roads and inland waterways by Access Boards

The National Access Board shall, in consultation with concerned government agencies, non-governmental organizations concerned with disabled persons, as well as provincial and local-level Access Boards and professional bodies, prepare and notify design criteria for accessible roads and inland waterways from time to time.

35. The responsibility of the Government for the promotion of accessible roads and inland waterways

It shall be the responsibility of central, provincial and local Governments to ensure:

1. That no roads are constructed after the coming into effect of this Act which are in contravention of the relevant design criteria concerning accessibility; and
2. That all existing roads and inland waterways are made accessible within a period prescribed by the Access Board from time to time in this respect.

36. The setting aside of a reasonable percentage of the total approved annual expenditure on maintenance, repairs and construction of roads and inland waterways for improving accessibility of roads and inland waterways

The central, provincial and local Governments shall set aside a reasonable percentage of the total approved annual expenditure on the maintenance, repairs and construction of roads and inland waterways for improving the accessibility of roads and inland waterways.

37. Mandatory requirements for covering gutters and manholes

1. The authority charged with the responsibility of sewerage and drainage as well as the upkeep of roads shall be required to ensure the covering of gutters and manholes on roads.
2. In the event of any omission or lapse on the part of the concerned authority in the discharge of this mandatory responsibility, the authority shall be personally and officially liable to indemnify the affected individuals, apart from other civil and criminal liabilities as envisaged by any other law in force at the time.

CHAPTER VII
ACCESS TO TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

38. The requirement for all transport systems to be made accessible

All modes of transportation, i.e., surface transport, rail transport, water transport and air transport, shall be designed and operated in a manner which makes them accessible and usable by persons with disabilities.

39. The need for all transport systems in any sector to conform to the requirements of this chapter

All types of transport systems shall conform to the provisions of this chapter irrespective of their being in the official or the private sector.

40. The necessity of accessibility before the issuance of any franchise or permit to operate public transport

No franchise or permit shall be issued or renewed to operate any type of public transport unless the unit of transport is constructed, equipped or renovated to meet the requirements of Access Standards prepared and notified in this respect by the National Access Board from time to time.

41. The preparation and notification of Access Standards by the National Access Board for different types of transport systems

1. The National Access Board shall, in consultation with concerned government agencies, non-governmental organizations, owners of transport systems as well as provincial and local-level Access Boards, prepare and notify appropriate access standards from time to time.
2. The National Access Board may consider the following while preparing access standards for different types of transport systems:
   1. The design of different units of different transport systems;
   2. The entrance and exit requirements of persons with disabilities;
   3. The appropriate format of signs and displays to meet the access requirements of different groups with disabilities;
   4. The access requirements in relation to the infrastructure for operating different transport systems, e.g., bus terminals, railway stations, airports, sea ports, reservation services and public announcement systems.

42. The appointment of Access Officers

The Government at the central, provincial and local levels shall appoint as many Access Officers as may be deemed necessary in the offices regulating the operation of different transport systems.

43. The requirement of existing transport systems to be made accessible within a prescribed period

All existing transport systems shall be made accessible within the period prescribed by the Access Board at the respective levels.

CHAPTER VIII
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR THOSE PROMOTING BARRIER-FREE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

44. The obligation of Governments at the central, provincial and local levels to give preferential treatment to those promoting accessibility in built environments

Governments at the central, provincial and local levels shall give preferential treatment (e.g., in matters of allotment of building sites, building permits, permits to operate transport systems, permits/ licences to operate various public facilities and receive bank loans), to those corporate bodies and individuals who, in the opinion of the Government concerned, have contributed substantially to the promotion of barrier-free built environments.

45. The granting of tax benefits for persons contributing to the promotion of built environments

Governments at the central, provincial and local levels shall also prepare schemes granting various forms of tax relief to those individuals and corporate bodies which have contributed substantially in the promotion of barrier-free built environments.

46. The recommendation by Access Boards of cases for preferential treatment

The Access Boards at the respective levels shall recommend annually corporate bodies and individuals for such preferential treatment.

CHAPTER IX
OFFENCES AND PROSECUTIONS

47. The right to initiate prosecution by an individual or a private body

1. In the event of contravention of any provision of this Act as well as the access standards and design criteria pertaining to the different features of built environments notified by the Access Board at the respective level, any person with a disability, an association or a body of persons with disabilities or like agency may initiate prosecution against any defaulting person, authority or corporate body before the forum or local body designated for this purpose by a notification to the Government, central, provincial or local, as the case may be.
2. Besides the competent authority empowered to regulate different features of the built environment, Access Officers may also initiate prosecution under this Act.

48. The entitlement of organizations of persons with disabilities to compensation

1. Any registered organization of persons with disabilities shall be entitled to claim compensation from any person, corporate body, partnership, cooperative or government agency or department in the event of that person or body or agency constructing or creating any feature of the built environment in violation of respective access standards or design criteria or for not modifying respective features of the built environment in accordance with the respective access standards or design criteria within the prescribed time-frame, in addition to the criminal liability for such defaults stipulated in Section 49 of this Act.
2. When determining the amount of compensation, the court shall compute the loss suffered by the respective disability group in general and the members of the plaintiff organization in particular as well as the additional costs involved in the modifications necessary to make any feature of the built environment conform to the respective access standards or design criteria.

49. Penalties

1. Any person who contravenes the provisions of this Act as well as the access standards and design criteria pertaining to different features of the built environment notified by the Access Board at the respective level shall be punishable in the case of a first default by a fine (sum in local currency; perhaps equivalent to US dollars 1,000) besides (sum in local currency; perhaps equivalent to US dollars 50) per day for the period of continuance of such default and in the event of a second or subsequent default with imprisonment not less than (period; for example one month) but not more than (period; for example three months) or a fine of (sum in local currency; perhaps the equivalent to US dollars 2,000) or both, besides (sum in local currency; perhaps the equivalent to US dollars 100) per day for the period of continuance of such default.
2. Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, association, partnership, or cooperative, every person, who, at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and was responsible for observing the access standards or design criteria in question shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
3. In the event of an offence by a government agency under this Act the person in charge of such an agency or department shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to prosecution and punished accordingly.

50. Offences to be cognizable and bailable

1. Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, an offence under this Act shall be bailable.
2. An offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable.

51. The application of relevant criminal law procedures

The relevant existing criminal law shall apply to the criminal proceedings under this Act treating such cases as summons cases.

CHAPTER X
MISCELLANEOUS

52. The monitoring and review of this Act as well as access standards and design criteria by Access Boards

National, provincial and local Access Boards shall be responsible for monitoring on a regular basis the functioning of this Act and the different access standards with respect to different features of built environments as well as the design criteria in close consultation with all concerned government agencies, non-governmental organizations and professional associations/bodies, and recommend amendments to this Act to the Central Government as well as make necessary amendments to the various access standards and/or design criteria.

53. The notification by the National Access Board within three months of its constitution on all stipulated access standards and design criteria

The National Access Board shall notify access standards and design criteria as stipulated in Chapters IV to VII of this Act within (period; perhaps three months) of the constitution of the national, provincial and local Access Boards by the Government at the respective levels.

54. Powers to make rules

The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.

_______________

*1 Based on an outline prepared by Santosh K. Rungta, Chairperson, Working Committee, South Asian Network of Self-Help Organizations of People with Disabilities, and General Secretary, National Federation of the Blind, New Delhi, India

Appendix I

Form for first application to erect, re-erect or to make material alteration in any place in a building

To

(The Competent Authority)
Building Section

Sir/Madam,

I hereby give notice that I intend to erect/re-erect/demolish/make alternation in the Building No.............................. or to.............................. on/in.............................. Plot No.............................. Block No.............................. House No.............................. situated at.............................. scheme.............................. and in accordance with the Building Code and the Building Access Standards.

I enclose the following plans and specifications duly signed by me and............................................., the licensed architect/engineer/supervisor/group, Licence No............................................., who/which has prepared the plans and designs etc. and who will supervise the construction, and a copy of relevant statements/documents (as applicable):-

1. Site plan.
2. Building plan.
3. Services plan showing the access requirements of persons with disabilities in accordance with Building Access Standards.
4. General specifications.
5. Proposals for including the requirements of Building Access Standards.
6. Ownership title.
7. Attested copy of receipt for payment of application fee.
8. Declaration of the observance of Building Access Standards in the proposed building operation.
9. Other documents, as required.

I request that the construction be approved and permission accorded to me to execute the work.

Signature of owner__________________________________
Name of owner____________________________________
(Name in block letters)

Dated:

Address of owner___________________________________
___________________________________

A copy is to be sent to the Access Officer with the request to recommend the application to the competent authority for granting building permission.

Appendix II

Form for notice for starting work

To

(The Competent Authority)
Building Section

Sir/Madam,

I hereby certify that the erection/re-erection/demolition/material alernation in/of building No.............................. on/in Plot No.............................. Block No.............................. situated at.............................. scheme, will be started on.............................. in accordance with your permission given in office communication No.............................. dated____________________ under the supervision of.............................. licensed auchitect/engineer/supervisior/group, Licence No.............................., and in accordance with the plans sanctioned.

Signature of owner______________________________
Name of owner________________________________
(Name in block letters)

Dated:

Address of owner______________________________
______________________________

A copy is to be sent to the Access Officer for necessary action.

Appendix III

Form of refusal to grant an occupancy certificate on the grounds of non-compliance with building standards

No..............................

Dated:_________________________

Subject: Occupancy certificate in respect of Plot No.............................., Block No.............................., scheme..............................

Dear Sir/Madam,

1. With reference to your letter dated..............................
2. With reference to your notice of completion dated..............................
3. Further to this office's letter No.............................. dated.............................. on the above subject

I am directed to inform you that your case has been examined and the occupancy certificate is rejected because of non-compliance with the Building Access Standards.

I am directed to request you to make the necessary modifications in accordance with the attached annexure.

Yours faithfully,

(Competent Authority)
Building Section

Go back to the Contents

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Promotion of Non-Handicapping Physical Environments for Disabled Persons: Guidelines
- ANNEX 3 -

UNITED NATIONS
New York, 1995