The `DataGridColumn` is not actually part of the `VisualTree`, so bindings on the class cannot find their source

You can set things like the `Visibility` and `Width` property in the `CellStyle` or `HeaderStyle` of the `DataGridColumn`, although that isn't quite the same.

The closest I've found to a solution would be to create a [Freezable][1] object in your `<DataGrid.Resources>` that stores the binding, then use that `StaticResource` in the `Visibility` binding. It's not a pretty solution, but it's the only one I can find at this time.

You can view of an example of it [here][2]

    <DataGrid.Resources>
        <local:BindingProxy x:Key="proxy" Data="{Binding IsChecked, 
             ElementName=IncludeFullHist, 
             Converter={StaticResource boolItemsConverter}}" />
    </DataGrid.Resources>

    <DataGridTextColumn Header="First Name" Binding="{Binding Path=FirstName}"
        Visibility="{Binding Path=Data, Source={StaticResource proxy}}"/>  

  [1]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.freezable.aspx
  [2]: http://www.thomaslevesque.com/2011/03/21/wpf-how-to-bind-to-data-when-the-datacontext-is-not-inherited/

I have a datagrid whose `ItemsSource` binds to a `CollectionViewSource`.  
In each column I specify the `Path` property of the binding to get the specific information to display.

What I'd like to do is toggle some of the columns with a checkbox if the user wants more info.  To do this, I need to bind the visibility property to the value of the checkbox (with a converter) but I'm pretty sure the data context of the column is interfering with the binding.



    <DataGrid ItemsSource="{Binding Source={StaticResource cvs}}" ....>
        <DataGrid.Columns>
            <DataGridTextColumn Header="First Name" Binding="{Binding Path=FirstName}"
                Visibility="{Binding IsChecked,
                                     ElementName=IncludeFullHist, 
                                     Converter={StaticResource boolItemsConverter}}"/>   
        </DataGrid.Columns>
    </DataGrid>


I need the checkbox in my viewmodel as well, so I have its `IsChecked` property bound to a property on my ViewModel



    <CheckBox x:Name="IncludeFullHist"  IsChecked="{Binding Path=ManagerFullHist }" />

---

For other elements in my page, I've been able to hook up visibility bindings with either of the two following methods, but neither seem to work when I copy them over into the datagrid:



    <TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Left" Text=" Visible 2 " 
        Visibility="{Binding Path=DataContext.ManagerFullHist,
                             RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor,
                             AncestorType={x:Type UserControl}},
                             Converter={StaticResource boolItemsConverter}}"/>
    <TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Left" Text=" Visible 3 " 
        Visibility="{Binding Path=ManagerFullHist, 
                             Source={StaticResource mainWinResource},
                             Converter={StaticResource boolItemsConverter}}"/>

Any suggestions on ways that I can solve this in the datagrid?  
Please let me know if I've omitted any code that could be potentially helpful.