Scene: A trendy coffee shop. The Woke individual is sitting across from a Differently Abled person, whose pronouns are unknown. The Woke person is enthusiastic, determined to be inclusive, but completely misses every social cue. The Differently Abled person is growing more irritated by the second.
Woke: (smiling brightly) "Hey, I’m so excited we could hang out! You know, I just love learning about new experiences and making sure everyone feels seen and heard. I’ve been reading up on how to be, like, more aware of everyone’s identity, especially when it comes to, you know, differently-abled people. You’re such an inspiration."
Differently Abled: (grimacing, clearly uncomfortable) "Uh... thanks, I guess."
Woke: (leaning forward, full of enthusiasm) "No problem! So, just out of curiosity, what are your pronouns? You know, they/them? Or maybe ze/zir? There are so many options now, it’s honestly so freeing, isn’t it?"
Differently Abled: (sighs, more frustrated) "I don’t really... care about pronouns, okay? Just call me by my name, that’s fine."
Woke: (ignoring the cue, still grinning) "Oh, sure! But like, even if you don’t care, I just want to make sure I’m respecting your preferences. I don’t want to accidentally misgender you or—"
Differently Abled: (cutting in, now visibly annoyed) "I’m not worried about misgendering, okay? I just want to have a normal conversation. Can we do that?"
Woke: (obliviously excited, continuing with gusto) "Oh, I totally get it! But, you know, it’s so important to respect people's authenticity. People with disabilities are so often, like, erased from history, right? I mean, society tends to treat them as if they’re less-than, and I just can’t stand that. I’m all about pushing back on that narrative! Like, have you seen how disabled characters are treated in film and TV? There’s so much ableism, right?"
Differently Abled: (raising an eyebrow, getting more frustrated) "I don’t need anyone to 'push back' for me, okay? I’m fine, I don’t need anyone to fix me or ‘narrate’ my life for me."
Woke: (misinterpreting the tone completely, enthusiastically)* "Oh, totally! I hear you! You don’t need saving or anything. But, like, maybe you could help teach me about your experiences? You know, how you, like, navigate the world? I want to learn so I can be an ally. I’ve been reading books like How to Be an Anti-Ableist Ally, and I think it’s really eye-opening. So, like, when you’re out in public and someone, like, stares at you or treats you differently, how does that make you feel?"
Differently Abled: (gritting their teeth, visibly upset) "Well, maybe it doesn’t make me feel anything. Maybe I just don’t care about what people think! I don’t need a damn book to tell me how to feel about being in a wheelchair!"
Woke: (clueless, still smiling brightly) "Ah, but that’s the thing, right? You don’t need to care, and that’s what makes you so strong and resilient. It’s all about finding that inner strength and rejecting the ableist systems! Like, I’m just trying to create a better world for you, you know?"
Differently Abled: (increasingly exasperated) "I don’t need you to create a world for me, okay?! I’m just trying to live my life without being lectured about how I should be feeling every five seconds! I’m not some project for you to fix!"
Woke: (still missing every hint, speaking as though they’ve just had a revelation) "Oh, wow, I didn’t realize you felt that way. You know, I just think it’s so important to highlight the marginalized voices, like yours! You are a hero for just existing in a world that wasn’t built for you. I honestly think you could teach me so much about strength."
Differently Abled: (slamming their coffee cup down, now visibly angry) "Look, I’m not a hero, alright? I’m just a person who happens to use a wheelchair. I don’t want your pity, your lessons, or your lecture on how to live my life. I don’t need you to turn me into some kind of symbol for your cause!"
Woke: (taken aback, completely confused) "Wait... you don’t think I’m helping? But I’m trying so hard to be an ally! I just want to make the world a better place for you! How can you not appreciate that?"
Differently Abled: (throwing up their hands, finally losing patience) "Because you’re not listening! You’re just so focused on being ‘woke’ and making everything about you and your damn cause that you can’t even hear what I’m actually saying! I just want to be treated like a normal person. I don’t need your performance of allyship, okay? Just let me be!"
Woke: (staring blankly, still trying to process) "But... I thought I was being good."
Differently Abled: (exasperated, pushing their chair back) "You’re not! You’re really not. Just—please—shut up and listen for once."
