When Jenna Udenberg was fifteen, she had a suicide plan due to tough medical
issues and severe physical pain from her arthritis. She lived in bed. But she pulled herself from those very dark, tough times to become an inspiration to many who suffer from disabilities.
Jenna Udenberg is a former music educator of 19 years. She has used a manual wheelchair since the age of eight due to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Jenna is a 2017 Blandin Foundation Community Leader, a 2020 Bush Fellow, and a 2025 Shannon Leadership Institute Fellow.
Writing for the Lake County Press in her column, "Local View from 4 foot 2, inspires vulnerability and the sharing of lived experiences from a seated
perspective.
In her interview, Jenna shared how she went from feeling hopeless to inspiring anyone who may be struggling with life-changing circumstances beyond their control.
Why is disability not a bad word?
● Going beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act code matters, as we are not a checklist.
● Why are accessibility and inclusion important?
● How did you overcome daily challenges?
Life is always beautiful, no matter what it looks like, because of the tapestry of relationships and people.
Make it colorful and unique.
Within My Spokes is a collection of Jenna Udenberg’s life stories and the relationships that create her tapestry. From her childhood diagnosis of Juvenile Arthritis at age seven, Jenna fought through long journeys of medical battles, broken systems, discrimination, and ignorance. Jenna is a 2020 Bush Fellow and a disability advocate, activist, and accessibility educator. Readers have laughed and cried as they dug deeper into her shared life stories. This is a coming-of-age book about finding oneself, one’s purpose, and worth, sometimes through the most unlikely of relationships and circumstances.
Within these stories, you will be taken on a journey of:
- Persevering and thriving through life’s unexpected adventures
- Timely friendships create safe, inclusive, and healthy spaces
- Healing (physical, spiritual, emotional) through the hurt of one’s past
- Faith
Though our stories may be different, you may relate to experiences in this book of pain, growth, and freedom that could help you on your journey.
Jenna Udenberg grew up on the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior. She is a disability advocate and accessibility educator. Jenna’s newspaper column, Local View from 4’ 2”, can be found in the Lake County Press. She loves working with others, including her non-profit, Above & Beyond With U.
CONNECT WITH JENNA HERE
