National Leadership Program, Spring 2024
Hannah Harriman
Hannah Harriman was a Leadership and Workforce Development Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2024. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
Harriman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Relational Communications which she obtained from Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. During her time at Bethel University, Harriman promoted disability advocacy and awareness in many areas. She assisted one of her communications professors with his sabbatical project which focused on the need for and value of website accessibility both from a legal and moral perspective. Ultimately, they gave administrators valuable feedback that would improve accessibility with every update to the university’s website. Additionally, Harriman worked as a Bethel University Inclusive Learning and Development (BUILD) Mentor with students who had cognitive delays. Harriman completed her internship in Bethel’s Disability Services Office, where she learned more of the intricacies of supporting students with a variety of disabilities through their post-secondary education. At the conclusion of her senior year, Harriman and the professor she assisted with his sabbatical project were presented the Levi Bauer Access Award by Disability Services faculty.
Following graduation, Harriman spent nearly three years working as a recruiter for a medical transcription company. She consistently proved her strong work ethic, adaptability, problem-solving skills, and diligence by raising expectations and setting the bar high for herself and her colleagues as she interviewed and hired candidates and worked on recruitment and retention efforts within the company. Harriman has also worked for the past several years for a nonprofit organization which supports children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing and their families. In this role, Harriman uses her lived experience as someone with a combination of hearing and vision loss to support children and families along their journeys. She views this combination of disabilities as an asset, as she has used her disabilities as a means to advocate for accessibility for all.
In her free time, Harriman finds joy in serving her community. Currently, Harriman is the President of the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind Foundation Board and also serves in her church as a youth leader and vocalist on the worship team. Her hobbies include singing, reading, writing, and spending time outdoors. Harriman’s goals for the RespectAbility Fellowship include raising society’s expectations of people with disabilities, empowering those with disabilities to reach their full potential, and collaborating and networking with other fellows.
