Disability and the Rural Labor Market in India: Evidence for Males in Tamil Nadu

SummaryThis paper examines the differences in employment and wages between males with and without disabilities, using data from the Village Disability Survey conducted in Tamil Nadu, India. We find that the employment gap between individuals with and without disability is not explained by differences in human capital and productivity, and may result from differential returns to characteristics and from discrimination in access to employment. Results from a selectivity-corrected wage equation suggest that wages are not statistically different between disabled and non-disabled males.