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Traveling to work seemed almost impossible because vehicles that were accessible to him didn ' t exist , and within the buildings themselves , accessibility was non-existent . Buildings with ramps , elevators , or other accommodations to meet the needs of people with varying disabilities were virtually nonexistent .
In 2007 , Ressa was offered a Ford Foundation Scholarship to further his studies , receiving a master ' s degree at The Ohio State University in Special Education and Teaching grades P-12 , which he completed in 2010 . For the next six years , he worked to receive his Doctorate in Teacher Education with the focus on Inclusive Education , Equity Studies , and Disability Studies .
Taking all of the education he was immersed in , Ressa became a visiting professor in Rhode Island at Roger Williams University . He then transitioned into his current job in Michigan , where he teaches Special Education courses through " a more inclusive perspective ," he said at Wayne College of Education at Wayne State University . His work is primarily geared towards working with teacher candidates to prepare them to become highly qualified educators , committed to building inclusive learning environments in their schools and community .
Inclusive education , a course he is fond of teaching , Ressa said , is the class that trains both Special and General Education teachers to create learning environments for students with and without disabilities in their classrooms , schools , and local and global community .
He said that the History of Special Education is a required course that he teaches . " It helps to widen their scope of understanding where we are coming from and where we are headed . People who forget about their history are bound to make mistakes ," he said . " Knowing where the history of Special Education comes from and where we are headed is so critical for them so that they can be champions of inclusion ."
He discussed how people with disabilities are at the bottom of the hierarchical human chain and are often invisible . It is essential to take care of their future , well beginning , and the broader society . In turn , his teaching involves crucial components such as employment , secondary education , community participation , independent living , and reactions that can help to transition people with disabilities into a successful and productive post-secondary life .
Ressa believes that his personal life , training , and work are intertwined like a Venn diagram ; they overlap in the middle . Throughout his life , he has experienced the lack of inclusivity and accessibility in the world as a person with a disability , which has been one of the leading factors pushing him to work as a disability rights activist , teacher , and educator .
He shared that people with disabilities do not typically have the opportunity to attend high school , see the walls of a university , or make something out of their lives because of societal barriers . As a young child , he had the opportunity to attend school . When he watched other children with disabilities , they were often innovative and creative , " you can imagine how many human resources go to waste , especially by not tapping into the experiences of people with disabilities ," he said .