What Real Inclusion Looks Like: Disablity, Ableism, and Advocacy with Jenna Udenberg

Send me a message via text or voicemail!🎙️  Episode SummaryWhat does real inclusion actually look beyond good intentions and surface level awareness? In this episode, I get to sit down with educator, author, and accessibility advocate Jenna Udenberg, founder of Above and Beyond with U, for an honest conversation about disability, ableism, and what true advocacy requires.Jenna shares her experience living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and unpacks the realities that often go unseen, including the pressure to be labeled “inspiring,” the complexity within disability culture, and the emotional weight of navigating a world that wasn’t built with accessibility in mind.We talk about the difference between performative inclusion and real, lived inclusion, and the deeper internal work it takes to recognize and dismantle ableism in our everyday lives.This conversation invites you to rethink accessibility, challenge your assumptions, and consider what it really means to see people fully. 📖 Jenna’s Hidden ChapterJenna’s hidden chapter is the part of her story before she had the language to understand her own identity.It’s the years of navigating a world that didn’t fully see or reflect her experience. Before discovering disability culture. Before realizing she didn’t have to earn belonging by being palatable, agreeable, or “inspiring.”That chapter led her to a pivotal moment of self-recognition, where she could finally look at herself and see her whole identity clearly. That truth now shapes the work she does and the way she shows up in advocacy.🎧  Who This Episode Is ForIt’s for educators, parents, advocates, and leaders who want to move beyond performative inclusion and step into something more honest and impactful.It’s for those living with chronic illness or disability who are still navigating what it means to fully embrace their identity.And it’s for anyone willing to sit with discomfort, reflect honestly, and do the deeper work of understanding themselves and others.You don’t have to have a disability to be part of this conversation.Resources MentionedJenna's Memoir: Within My Spokes — available on AmazonAbove and Beyond with U (Nonprofit): aboveandbeyondwithu.orgDisability Culture Resources: disabilityculture.orgConnect with Jenna🌐 aboveandbeyondwithu.org Support the show🌐  Visit my website: https://hiddenchapterspodcast.com/ and stay connected! 🎙️  Want to be a guest on Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/genevievekruger 🎵 Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay