India, Sept. 22 -- There is a question mark on the face of many persons with disabilities (PwDs) who walk into a skill development centre. They come with hope. They want to learn. They want to earn. They want to become independent. But behind that hope is often a difficult question: "After I complete this training, what happens next?"

Having worked closely with persons with disabilities and their livelihoods for many years, I have increasingly felt that our understanding of PwD employment needs to go beyond training and placement. Getting a person into a job is important, but for many rural and semi urban PwDs, the real challenge begins after placement.

For PwDs who have completed only schooling, the available entry level opportunities ...