Empowering deaf rights: enhancing access to Colombia's labor market.

This document examines the significant labor market challenges and inequalities faced by the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) population in Colombia, using quantitative analyses including an economic labor supply model and the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method. It finds that DHH individuals experience a wage gap more than twice that of hearing individuals, with approximately 97% of this disparity attributed to discrimination or unexplained factors. The study highlights that education, wage, and gender variables have a diminished effect on labor participation for DHH people, particularly affecting deaf women who face compounded barriers. Recommendations focus on strengthening inclusive policies, expanding accessible education and workplace accommodations, promoting awareness of Deaf culture, and supporting entrepreneurship to improve economic inclusion and quality of life for the DHH community in Colombia.