S2E15 - Jenna Udenberg - Normal Is a Myth

Most people never think about accessibility until they need it. They walk into buildings without wondering if everyone can get through the door. They make plans without thinking about whether the space was designed for everyone. They assume the world works because, for them, most of the time it does. In this episode of the No One Is Normal Podcast, I sit down with Jenna Udenberg, educator, author, advocate, and founder of Above and Beyond With U, to talk about disability, resilience, inclusion, and what it means to build a life in a world that was not always designed with you in mind. Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age seven, Jenna has endured chronic pain, multiple joint replacements, more than a dozen surgeries, and countless accessibility challenges throughout her life. Yet what stands out most is not what she has endured. It is what she has built. From a 19-year teaching career to founding a nonprofit focused on accessibility and inclusion, Jenna has turned personal challenges into opportunities to help others. We talk about disability, leadership, confidence, depression, advocacy, accessibility, and why asking better questions often matters more than having the right answers. Jenna shares practical ways people can create more inclusive communities and challenges the assumptions many of us make without even realizing it. This conversation is not about sympathy. It is about understanding. Because disability is not rare. At some point, it touches all of our lives. 🌐 Learn more about Jenna and Above and Beyond With U: https://www.aboveandbeyondwithu.org/ 📚 Jenna's Memoir – Within My SpokesA powerful story of resilience, disability, identity, and finding purpose while navigating a lifetime of challenges. https://a.co/d/020VH6ss 🔗 More from me: 🎙️ Podcast & episodes: https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast 📖 Book (Print + Kindle): https://a.co/d/06CoAtVF 🎧 Audiobook on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/No-One-Is-Normal-Breaking-Free-from-Normal-Audiobook/B0GJFWBSBZ 🛍️ Merch & Support the Mission: https://www.bradhhill.com/merch