Inclusion Starts With Asking: Jenna Udenberg on Disability, Advocacy and the Courage to Speak Up

What if creating a more inclusive world begins with something much simpler than having all the answers?

Sometimes it starts with being willing to ask, listen, speak up and recognize that everyone deserves to have their needs seen and respected.

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Signature Quote

“We know better, so now we need to do better.”

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Why This Quote Matters

Jenna's words capture the heart of this conversation: awareness is only the beginning. Real inclusion requires us to turn what we know into action and have the courage to challenge systems that can do better.

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Episode Description

What does it really mean to build a world where people's needs aren't treated as "special," but simply human?

Jenna Udenberg has been a manual wheelchair user since childhood, and her experiences with disability, accessibility and advocacy have shaped how she thinks about resilience, relationships and the responsibility we have to one another. Rather than simply accepting inaccessible systems, Jenna has learned to ask better questions, speak up and challenge people with the power to create change.

In this conversation, Jenna and Audley explore the courage required to ask for help, the difference between happiness and hard-fought joy, the importance of community, and why inclusion begins with authentic communication. Jenna reminds us that progress doesn't happen simply because we recognize what's wrong. It happens when we decide to do something about it.

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This Episode Is For You If...

• you want to better understand accessibility and inclusion

• you're learning how to advocate for yourself or others

• you've struggled with asking for help

• you're navigating adversity while trying to hold onto joy

• you believe awareness should lead to meaningful action

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Guest Bio

Jenna Udenberg is the founder of Above and Beyond With U, a Minnesota-based nonprofit focused on increasing accessibility and inclusion, both physically and attitudinally. Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at age seven and a manual wheelchair user since age eight, Jenna brings lived experience to conversations about disability, access and belonging.

Before moving more deeply into accessibility education and advocacy, Jenna spent 19 years as a music educator. Her journey eventually led her into community leadership, where she discovered the power of using her experiences not simply to tell her own story, but to challenge assumptions and help create better systems for others.

At the centre of Jenna's work is a deeply human idea: leave spaces and people better than you found them. Her approach to advocacy is rooted in relationships, honest conversations and the belief that creating a more inclusive world is something we have to do together.

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Guest Links

🌐 Above and Beyond With U → https://aboveandbeyondwithu.org

📖 Memoir: Within My Spokes → Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold

Jenna also shares her work through Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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Listen on Major Platforms

🎧 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2jVR6V7X2kRiCCDXE0FTyl?si=IR3TsfEWR3WA6BzfBRnVXQ

🍎 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-audacious-living-podcast/id1547447345

📦 Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.ca/podcasts/9f7902bb-dec8-4bd9-918d-d1fef21b7c67/the-audacious-living-podcast?ref=dm_sh_pGv57yQvAmAQVp2IIaXoDwtFt

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Call To Action

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