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About Above & Beyond With U
Accessibility Advocates in Two Harbors, Minnesota
Jenna Udenberg founded Above & Beyond With U. Jenna has been a full-time wheelchair user and self-advocate since the age of 7. As an educator, she has spent her career advocating for her students and their families.
"Advocacy is hard work and it takes consistent energy and capacity to keep the ball rolling. During my medical needs I would need to take breaks from this important work, but in 2017 I was re-inspired to commit to this work again.
In 2017 I was selected to be a part of the Blandin Community Leadership Program with 25 other community leaders from my hometown of Two Harbors, MN. It was a time of great transformation and personal change.
During our retreat, I was led to open up about my journey and experiences as a young wheelchair user and a current leader who struggled with physical access to some of our most visited locations within our region.
The support of my “Blandin Family” helped me pick up the torch of advocacy again. My story led many of these fellow leaders to start making changes in the accessibility of their workspaces, town events, and other spaces they influence. It taught me that each of our stories has the power to create a ripple effect in our communities.
In 2019 I was encouraged to apply for the Bush Foundation Fellowship. I was honored to become a Bush Fellow in 2020. This two-year fellowship in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic helped change my entire trajectory. Through education, coaching, reflection, and support, it provided a launching pad to bring my dream of Above & Beyond With U to fruition."
Within My Spokes
Read Jenna's inspiring memoir
Within My Spokes is a collection of Jenna Udenberg’s life stories and the relationships. From her childhood diagnosis of Juvenile Arthritis at age 7, Jenna fought through long journeys of medical battles, broken systems, discrimination & ignorance.
Readers have laughed and cried as they dug deeper into this is a coming-of-age book about finding oneself, one’s purpose, and worth through the most unlikely relationships and circumstances.
Though our stories may be different, you may relate to the experiences in this book. Themes of pain, growth, and freedom that could help you on your journey.
Our Goals
1. Collaborate
To collaborate with others in order to encourage, train, and create sustainable change to make our physical spaces more inclusive for everyone with all abilities.
2. Be a Conduit
To be a conduit between the non disabled and disability cultures, so many viewpoints are heard, valued, and acted upon creating understanding between the intersections of our communities.
3. Share
To share my story and the stories of others to bring humanity, dignity, and understanding to our choices, protocols, policies, and governing bodies.
4. Promote
To promote the physical and attitudinal accessibility that I find in my daily life so others can also come and enjoy our region with all its beauty, solitude, and grandeur it has to offer.