The Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation announced the focus of the 2025 Trudy Sundberg Lecture Series will be on changing attitudes towards disability.
On Friday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m., the series will present Interabled: True Stories About Love and Disability, a public lecture by Shane and Hannah Burcaw at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts in Langley, WA.
Authors, YouTubers, and disability advocates Shane and Hannah Burcaw will share a hilarious and heartfelt presentation about the reality of being in an interabled relationship, including some highlights and lowlights from their own personal love story.
Founders of the popular YouTube channel Squirmy & Grubs, Shane and Hannah Burcaw are on a mission to change the way society understands disability and relationships and have over 4 million social media followers. Their first co-authored book “Interabled” was released in January 2025, it is available to checkout at your local library and will be available for purchase at the event. Learn more at Laughing at My Nightmare.
On Friday, March 14, at 4:00 p.m., the series will present a public lecture by Kimber Cross at the Coupeville Library. Cross is an adaptive climber from Tacoma, WA and a climb leader for The Mountaineers who uses a custom prosthetic ice tool to climb alpine ice routes in Washington state and across the country. She was the first disabled climber to use a prosthetic ice tool on the Kautz Route on Mount Rainier/Tahoma. As a kindergarten teacher, her passion is to teach children about the outdoors with her story of resilience and inclusion. Learn more at Kimber Belle.
Trudy Sundberg Lecture Series
Founded in 2016, the Trudy Sundberg Lecture Series honors beloved Whidbey Island teacher and community leader Trudy J. Sundberg. The series exemplifies Trudy’s lifelong commitment to discovery, exploration, and the exchange of information, ideas, and opinions in an environment of respect and consideration.
“The Trudy Sundberg Lecture Series is committed to amplifying diverse voices and ideas,” said Christina Kourteva, executive director of the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation. “The 2025 lectures aim to inspire a deeper understanding and acceptance of people living with disabilities. We are honored to be presenting such inspirational speakers as Shane and Hannah Burcaw and Kimber Cross who are both normalizing and revolutionizing the conversation about disability.”
The series is free and open to the public and engages over 900 people annually. The program is made possible by generous contributions from individuals, businesses, and community organizations. Learn more about the Trudy Sundberg Lecture Series.
2025 Series Sponsors
- Whidbey Community Foundation
- Humanities Washington
- Friends of the Freeland Library
- The Inn at Langley
- Dr. Gary Berner, DDS
- Friends of the Clinton Library
- Friends of the Langley Library
- Goosefoot Community Fund
- Island Ductless Heat Pumps
- League of Women Voters of Whidbey Island
- SaviBank
- Whidbey Coffee
- Whidbey Island Bank
- Whidbey Island Democratic Club
- Friends of the Oak Harbor Library
- Terra Firma Wealth Management
- Feather & Fox Print Co.
- Whidbey Weekly
