Social position of persons with disabilities in and out of residential institution
Authors: Markovic Milan 
Published: January 2015

The 2011 Census in the Republic of Serbia introduced, for the first time
questions about difficulties in functioning, following the Recommendations
from the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. Since there are no stable
and continuous sources on the position of persons with disabilities in
Serbia, the Census results may be used as a relevant source on disability
measurement. Of course, due to the main goal of census disability
measurement, and that is a general identification of disability in
population, these results should be employed with certain reservations and
carefully, especially because of some methodological specification in
approaching disability. The main use of census data on disability should be
found in evaluating the "equality of opportunity" in relevant areas, such as
economic activity (labour and employment), education, living sources, etc.
and this is to be achieved mainly through comparison between the values in
the general population and population with disabilities. Having done that, we
were able to conclude on visible inequality of opportunities between the
general and population with disabilities. These discrapancies are indeed
evident first in the area of education-especially in accessing elementary
education, where the percentage of persons with disabilities that never
attended school is extremely high (12.2% v. 2.68% in general population). The
unfavourable status of persons with disabilities in the context of education
continues in almost all levels of education. An even more obvious inequality
of opportunity is present in the area of economic activity, where the
prevalence of inactive persons with disability is very high - almost 90%.
Having gone through all the age categories, what becomes abvious is a
significantly lower activity among all age groups in comparison to the same
groups in general population. However, the main goal of this article was to
detect the discrapancies existing between the position of persons with
disabilities that live in the community and those living in institutional
settings - institutions for collective housing. In both areas of education
and economic activity, the results tell us very much about a much more
problematic status of those living in residential settings. Overall, the
access to education is much lower with residents, making an even more
negative picture about this smaller group of persons with disabilities in
Serbia. In the area of economic activity, the percentage of economically
active persons with disabilities in residential settings does not climb to
one percent (0.30% excluding the homes for adults and the elderly), which is
indeed a worrying situation. Having in mind well known facts on the effects
of institutionalization of persons with disabilities in terms of almost all
their rights and freedoms, the results that we have encountered are to
confirm a negative status of those living in residential settings.
Experiences of discrimination, marginalization, segregation and exclusion are
evident in the census results. Even if one tries to focus only on analyzing
the equality of opportunity in the given context, in comparison with the
general population, or even only with the contingent of persons with
disabilities out of the residential settings, those living in institutions in
Serbia are seriously suffering from lack of access to education, training,
labour market and other important areas of life and social functioning. In
addition, a potentially relevant insight has been made into the correlation
of the type of problem and the status within economic activity and education
of persons with disabilities in Serbia. The results confirm that those
persons identified through census questions that aim at detecting problems of
mental health (intellectual and psycho-social disability) are in the least
favourable position in both of the observed areas. Such conclusions should
also be connected to a specifically problematic social inclusion and
acceptance of those with mental health problems and the extremely high burden
of social stigma towards them, combined with the long-going practice of
exclusion and discrimination (legal capacity, education, employability,
etc.).