Vanessa Smith

@normalness

We're all normal to ourselves. I write. I hate hustle. I love shiny objects. Can't even influence an ant. Anthropology & sociology graduate. Author of books. Spoonie. And much more. www.normalness.com

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Vanessa Smith@normalness· 26d

Mutual Aid: This week I'd like to highlight River Wintergreen, who is an artist seeking support while they wait to be granted NDIS funding. www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-...

Mutual Aid:
This week I'd like to highlight River Wintergreen, who is an artist seeking support while they wait to be granted NDIS funding.
If you have the ability to share or donate, all actions are appreciated to ensure this member of the disability community has their support needs met.
Full details can be found in their Go Fund Me.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· 26d

If my needs are only going to be met 10 years in the future, then who is paying for me to live for the next 10 years? Will all the employers who won't hire me put some money into a discrimination pot and pay me to be unemployed?

(The coach) decided my need to work from home is something that is ten years away, and therefore I suppose I am at fault for being ... in the future?
If my needs are only going to be met 10 years in the future, then who is paying for me to live for the next 10 years?
Will all the employers who won't hire me put some money into a discrimination pot and pay me to be unemployed?

Vanessa Smith@normalness· 26d

My barriers to work are systemic, and coaches want you to change things about yourself. I can't change being disabled. The (coaching) session was par for the course in talking about a disability issue with a non-disabled person, they just don't believe you that the situation is what it is.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· 26d

I cannot tell you how fucking infuriating it is that disability programs default to "no skills, no experience, entry level". Disabled people need opportunities at ALL LEVELS. Defaulting us to only the lowest pay grade is downright offensive.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 10

What I Did On My Summer Poorcaytion explores the random thoughts of a person who has actual time off for the first time in a very long time. payhip.com/b/MZHRh

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 6

Feeling all the frustration on this topic today. So many good jobs out there, but so few will hire me because “oooh scary” I need to do a desk job at my desk not their desk.

In public, disability and employment is often talked about in terms of entry level employment only.
Within a report published by WWDA there was an interesting comment:
“Employment supports tended to be catered to entry level jobs and were not tailored to people's capabilities.
Those with physical disabilities or chronic conditions reported the only available jobs involving manual labour or lifting which was not possible due to their disabilities.
Other people mentioned that support with their employment would be valuable for roles above
entry level."

This is completely in line with my experiences.
There is an expectation that if you're disabled, you lack skills and experience.
I do not need help with resumes, experience, references, or skill building. I have all that.
On social media a while ago, I posed the question: I have two degrees, how many does it take to overcome ableism?
(Yes, that's an oversimplification, but that's the point.)

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 6

The Secret Ingredient Of I'm always concise, clear and would never get distracted writing about writing in the middle of a fake recipe featuring magical creatures at its core. payhip.com/b/E2cwC

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 3

New section of the podcast - mutual aid. Please help if you can, Anna could use your help @halcionandon.bsky.social Details: chuffed.org/project/1619...

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 3

Flaws in job ads, part 2:

More flawed job ads:

Onsite for onboarding and initial delivery; hybrid considered under agency flexibility guidelines:

If the employer lacks the skillset to train remotely, this is not the responsibility of the prospective employee. The employer should consider up-skilling in remote training.

The barriers I am facing to gaining employment are barriers which are a) artificial and b) actively created by the employer.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 3

Flaws in job ads, part 1:

A few flawed sections from job ads.

Canberra, Brisbane or Albury (Hybrid):

If the job can be done in any of those cities, as well as at least part of the week from home, it's actually highly likely that the ENTIRE job can be done from home.

Flexible working with 1-day WFH per week:

Flexible work where you dictate or predetermine the flexibility is not actually flexible.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jul 3

Quotes from Episode 5 - Week 11 of The Second Time Podcast. normalness.com/2026/07/03/t...

It is incredibly hard to convince yourself to spend all week doing tasks which have a very low percentage chance of having any actual value or outcome. It's illogical to expect someone to feel good about this situation.

The problem with expressing frustration at this situation is that people will suggest I take a day off. And I know this is done in a caring way.

But a day off solves nothing. It doesn't remove systemic discrimination. It just makes me feel like I've done less work than I could have and therefore I feel crappier.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 27

This obviously wasn’t everything I observed but yeah… all these things (plus the obvious demand to go in person) make food banks inaccessible to me now. Also read stuff @phonakins.com has written on food banks!

Ok so lessons learned from going to 3 food banks to do my food shopping this week:
1) If it opens at 3pm, get there at 2.30pm
2) Most of the fresh stuff isn't so fresh and needs to be made into something else: tomatoes into chilli, banana into banana bread, general fruits dehydrated (so you can chop the rotten parts off)
3) Sometimes they just try and sell you prepackaged other crap that you don't need that brands have clearly thrown out.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 26

The ableism in recruitment and employment desperately needs to be addressed. It's not me that needs fixing. It's employers and the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws who need to do better.

The ableism in recruitment and employment desperately needs to be addressed.

I mean, employers are so emboldened in this area that in March this year, they openly admitted to discrimination in a major news article.

It's not me that needs fixing.

It's employers and the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws who need to do better.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 26

The problem is, none of these tasks NEED to be done in person. The employer WANTS them done in person, and an employers wants are being prioritised over my needs. This is the barrier I face in finding work. The barrier is not me, the barrier is the whims of prospective employers.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 26

If I'm going to be blunt, it's an absolute fucking load of bullshit when people use MEETINGS as the excuse for "needing" to be in an office.

"I checked the client brief and the expectation is full-time in-office attendance ... this is due to the need to engage with various stakeholders in the office setting, attend team meetings and liaise with management on workload, progress and feedback."

If I'm going to be blunt, it's an absolute fucking load of bullshit when people use MEETINGS as the excuse for "needing" to be in an office.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 26

As someone who has the broad view that charity is a failure of government, it's my opinion that charities should have not only a business plan, but a plan to put themselves out of business.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 25

Quotes from episode 2 of The Second Time Podcast. This episode covers my philosophies about disability and employment. normalness.com/2026/06/25/t...

Getting Three out of Three is hard work, and hidden work when job hunting.

The THREE for me are: the right work, the right pay, the right location.

There are often jobs that are the right work and the right pay for me, but they won't permit me to be remote. Or there are remote jobs I can apply for, but they're very junior and average in pay.

I need three out of three for a job to truly be sustainable for me.

The Second Time Podcast
www.normalness.com/second-time

“Just don’t disclose your disability until you’re hired!”

Unfortunately, there comes a time or a type of need where you can’t not disclose, because you need accommodations from the very start of the recruitment process.

Take me for example. I am housebound as far as employment is concerned. I cannot hide this until I’m hired because most recruitment processes are still in person.

It should not be up to the person with a disability to hide who they are in order to get the same chances as a non disabled person.

Employers need to show they are a safe place. Employers need to be up-skilling themselves on disability. And anti discrimination laws need to stand up for people with a disability by actively punishing employers who discriminate.

The Second Time Podcast
www.normalness.com/second-time

Pay disabled people more because disability is expensive.

People are really into equity until it comes to money.

March 2022 data suggests that people with a disability need between 50% and 102% more income than non disabled people.

And yet, this doesn't show up in employment, even in disability focused employment or companies who pride themselves on being equitable.

It's time for them to put their money where their mouth is.

The Second Time Podcast
www.normalness.com/second-time

Some days it's hard to work in disability as a disabled person. When working in disability, you end up bringing SO MUCH of yourself (you knowledge, your community) to work, and that makes separation really hard.

Other issues with assuming all disabled people have to work in disability:
it implies my only worthwhile skills and knowledge are disability ones
if I work for certain parts of government, blogging or podcasting about disability could breach codes of conduct
it doesn’t let me have a good work life balance
it lets employers off the hook in implementing adjustments or accomodations in non disability centric workplaces
it requires a level of disclosure that non disabled people don’t have to experience at work
you’re not paid enough because disability is under valued in society and so are work roles associated with disability
it limits your career both through where you can work, how easy it is to find a job (underfunded work sector – not many jobs), and the tasks you want to do at work
The Second Time Podcastwww.normalness.com/second-time

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 24

I don’t ask about accommodations, they are listed as a requirement on my resume. My needs are not a negotiation. They are clear and straightforward needs.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 24

The problem is, everyone has anti discrimination policies, but they don’t apply them in reality. As a disabled job seeker, this makes it practically impossible to identify which jobs to apply for/where to spend my energy.

There are tons of jobs I’d be a competitive candidate for. I can’t write applications for all of them. I need to write applications for the ones that appear flexible and inclusive.

The problem is, everyone has anti discrimination policies, but they don’t apply them in reality.

As a disabled job seeker, this makes it practically impossible to identify which jobs to apply for/where to spend my energy.

The Second Time Podcast
www.normalness.com/second-time

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 24

I am not ashamed to be unemployed, disabled, and looking for work. This situation is merely facts to me. Exhausting facts, most certainly, but merely facts.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 24

Top quotes from Episode 1 of The Second Time Podcast, as decided by me, because I can do that.

I want to share with you WHY I am open to talking about things like job hunting as a disabled person.

It’s because the fault does not sit with me, the fault sits with inaccessible employment and lack of appropriate disability supports.

The Second Time Podcast
www.normalness.com/second-time

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 15

Sooooooo…. I’m starting a podcast. A new one. (I have had a podcast in the past.) The idea came to me on the weekend. This morning I wrote four episodes and this afternoon I recorded them.

a Rode microphone on a boom arm, with a computer and other general desk mess like notebooks and a tissue box in the background.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 12

From earlier today…

Eight full weeks of job hunting and squat in the pipeline.

Are my eyes as dead as my soul?

(Heaps of jobs to apply for but people hate me for being housebound.)

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 11

Despite harbouring a very deep desire to tell every company on the planet to go to hell, I have done todays job hunting tasks. And as far as I know, I did not tell anyone to go to hell. Eight weeks of looking has worn my GAF down a lot, possibly to invisible levels.

A whiteboard with Mon: Qld jobs. Tues: APS jobs/agencies. Wed: seek jobs. Thursday: Qld job / ethical jobs. Fri: uni jobs, LinkedIn job.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 11

Finally managed to get some food.

Raisin toast (“buttered” with Nuttlex) on a purple plate

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 11

They are saying it very clearly. If you get kicked off the NDIS, there is NOTHING for you.

a screenshot from submission 508 “States and territories are not in a position, and have made no agreement, to deliver like-for-like services to people who are exited from the NDIS.“

Vanessa Smith@normalness· Jun 3

I have been screaming for about a year now that foundational supports will be generic and unhelpful. Oh look, I was right 😭 Can I be wrong about this stuff for once? www.instagram.com/reel/DZHY_xH...

I've been in some of the "design" sessions for foundational supports. It left me with the feeling that all non NDIS supports are going to be generic, in person, synchronous sessions where a non disabled person stands up and asks disabled people (or parents of disabled kids) if they've tried, like really tried, to not "let" their disability disable them. And can you try again, for me?

Vanessa Smith@normalness· May 29

Unemployment cheese time! It’s a small tradition of mine, to buy myself a last little treat at the end of a job, before I focus on beans and rice* to save money. (*Hyperbole, I can’t always safely eat that.) This time I decided to go for the cheesy chips and the creamy blue. Yum! Wish me luck

A small block blue cheese next to a packet of Parmesan potato chips on a benchtop.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· May 25

This one came to sit next to me the other week. It actually wanted to land where I was, then seemed surprised to see me and landed next to me instead 😂 I don’t know we were friends but I guess we are.

Vanessa Smith@normalness· May 24

We are officially into the last week of setting an alarm clock. For how long? Who knows? The challenge I face in looking for work is not in skills, education, or experience, it’s that I’m housebound and have the (apparently insurmountable)