The need to clarify used terminology stems from the inconsistent use of different terms in this field in the public discourse and inadequate translation of the terms „disability“ and „impairment“ in the Serbian language.
These are the two most important terms which need to be understood as they represent completely different phenomena. The translation into Serbia should be approached in line with their meaning in English.
Despite the dominance of the word „invaliditet“ in the Serbian language as a translation of the term „disability“, I deem this translation inadequate. The word „disability“ in the English language signifies restrictions that result from a society that pays little attention to the need of disabled people and systemically imposes different barriers on us such as institutional discrimination, prejudice, inaccessible environment, segregation in the systems of education, social care, employment, etc. This is the reason why the adjective „disabled“ is used in the English language aiming to point out that the action of disablement through socially imposed barriers has been performed over a person. Thus, I consider the use of person-first language as in „person with disability“ inappropriate for at least two reasons. First, it implies that disability is something inherently bad so it needs to be pushed aside as a secondary characteristic separated from a person. Second, it implies that disablement is a personal characteristic which can be possessed by a person. In fact, it rather marks the restrictions imposed by society and certainly does not refer to essential characteristics of people.
On another hand, the term „impairment“, (srb. invaliditet) denotes different types of biological features of the body or mind (long-term physical, sensory impairments or chronic illness) which lead to decreased functionality of part of an organism and represent a spectrum of human diversity. While it is uncontested that impairment itself may cause some forms of restrictions (like chronic pain), the focus of disability studies is those types of restrictions and exclusion which are imposed by society. Given that they are created by society, they can be eliminated through social changes.
I am aware that after the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities by the Republic of Serbia, the intention was to give a new meaning to the term “invaliditet” in the Serbian language whereby it should have referred to restrictions caused by societal barriers. But even today, 14 years after ratification, the wider public and often disability activists commonly use “invaliditet” in a sense of biological and functional characteristics of a person. In that regard, they use phrases which actually refer to personal characteristics such as “physical impairment”, “mental impairment”, “severe impairment” or similar.
Therefore, I acknowledge the domestic use of this phrase when referring to biology and bodily features, but when I want to emphasize our experience of societal barriers which continually disable us, I will use the phrase “disabled people” (srb. onemogućavane osobe) within the meaning of the social model of disability.
When I want to emphasize the biological or functional features of our bodies, minds and senses, I will use the phrase “persons with impairments” (eng. osobe sa invaliditetom).