Harriotte Ranvig Letter 4.16.22 redacted — File 22-2138

1 Adrienne Pomeroy From: Harriotte Hurie Sent: Saturday, April 16, 2022 1:46 PM To: Adrienne Pomeroy Cc: Bonnie Denis Subject: Letter of Intent from Harriotte Ranvig to join the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disability Greetings Adriane, This letter is a formal request to be considered for joining the somerville Commission on Disability as a full voting member. Some things I would bring are: A Somerville resident since 1983, I have been totally blind since I was fourteen. During my high school and college years I worked as a life skills assistant in residential schools for multiply-disabled children and youth in the U. S. and in Germany. I worked as a client assistant advocate at Massachusetts Office on Disability for several years. As an educator, I participated in and gave presentations on being a person with a disability in the Cambridge schools, both public and private. I co-designed and presented radio programs on being a woman with a disability and a mother working outside the home. Over the last decade I have been an advocate with MassADAPT and National ADAPT to support efforts for equity in all areas of life for people with disabilities. Another important focus of my life concerns building awareness and sensitivity to racial and cultural diversity as my daughter is of color and of Indian origin. I adopted her thirty-two years ago while living in India researching Hindustani music for my ethnomusicology Ph.D. Last, yet not least, I speak Hindi and German fluently and I am working to bring Spanish up to a level of fluency. It would be an honor to learn and contribute to the Commission’s work. Sincerely, Harriotte H. Ranvig, Ph. D.