Jennifer Weise’s poem “Nondisabled Demands” details in a witty and somewhat satirical way the ignorance of nondisabled people. She implies that this demographic of unaware, privileged people particularly includes straight men who appear to be physically able, as she writes that “Everyone knows the default mode of a poem is ten toes, ten fingers, in love with women and this nation.” Aside from pointing out their ignorance, Weise also brings attention to the fact that nondisabled people tend to assume ableness of everyone they meet who isn’t obviously disabled. She is stating that if a nondisabled person fails to be aware of another person’s limitations, it is the fault of the disabled person for not speaking up and making their disabilities known. This is demonstrated in lines six and seven, where she writes “You can’t expect people to read you if you don’t come out and say it.” The reader can assume that this is the voice of the nondisabled community speaking to a disabled person.
In addition to pointing out the ignorance of nondisabled people, highlighting a particular part of the nondisabled demographic, and bringing attention to nondisabled people’s tendency to assume ableness, Weise’s poem also details how nondisabled people consistently put disabled people in the spotlight for their own entertainment and inspiration. Lines thirteen and fourteen include the words “We’ll rope you to the podium.” The use of “rope” implies forcefulness as well as a lack of choice for the disabled person being forced in front of a podium to speak. The “podium” suggests attention being put on one person in front of an audience. Weise uses this line to suggest that the “we,” nondisabled people, will push people with disabilities in front of an audience to speak, whether the disabled person truly wants to or not. A couple lines down, Weise writes that if that disabled person refuses to speak and answer questions, the nondisabled people will “call [their] doctor.” This is a powerful line that can be interpreted many ways. If a disabled person chooses not to speak for themselves and nondisabled people turn to their doctor for answers, this implies that the doctor has the capacity to accurately speak for their patient. The doctor, however, likely only knows the medical side of that disabled person’s life, therefore only being able to detail that one aspect of their life and personality. If this is all the doctor is able to convey, nondisabled people miss out on everything else that makes up that disabled person’s personality and equates the entirety of that person’s value to their disability.
Weise’s poem accurately portrays a lot of the behavior of nondisabled people towards the disabled community. She details their ignorance, their assumptions, and their forcefulness. The third sentence in the poem that begins “We have an uncle with a disability” also draws attention to the way nondisabled people attempt to relate to people with disabilities by using their experiences with a family member, when in reality a nondisabled person can never truly know the experience of having a disability without living it. Weise uses her poem to call out the nondisabled people on their ignorance, force them to be aware of it, and encourage them to take the steps necessary to become more aware and inclusive of the disabled community.
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