I wrote this three years ago, and nothing has changed: 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 […]
Author: Vanessa Smith
- This is my life
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The best rejection
I received a rejection from a job application this week, and I was so relieved. On paper it was a great job. A mix of my two most recent jobs, and genuinely remote. But the screening call person was abrupt to say the least… I just didn’t get a good feeling from them. Ever […]
When they announced cuts to the NDIS
When they announced cuts to the NDIS at the National Press Club, I was live whatever-not-tweeting-but-posting-on-bluesky is called. Sorry, my brain still calls things live tweeting because that was a heyday name/action in my brain. Anyway, I hate how things disappear and are hard to find on social media when you want to relate to […]
Disability supports in Australia make me want to scream
I’ve written about my attempt to get non-NDIS supports. In 2024, in 2025, then the complaint I lodged… I’ve written about how Foundational Supports could be done well if they tried. For even more reading, check out my advocacy page. I’ve also written to disability organisations (not published or shared on my website […]
Where peak bodies fail
Where peak bodies fail: They talk over individual experiences They ignore outliers There’s never anything controversial in their thoughts An example of ignoring outliers can be read in this post – it’s about how ME/CFS research tends to exclude the most severely impacted. Their lack of controversy harms the people in their organisations. […]
Ugh, the trauma + chronic illness types
Yeah, I can’t stand them. The trauma gave you chronic illness types. Look, logically I’m sure there could be a connection between trauma and chronic illness. You can find an connection anywhere with enough funding for research. And after all, these things all happen within your body. It’s not really the possibility of a […]
Can a person be wrong when talking about their disability?
No. But also, kind of yes. Broadly, the way you experience it is the correct way to explain it. However, it is a higher quality explanation when the person has some understanding of things like models of disability, of human rights, and has worked on their internalised ableism. The explanations are […]
- This is my life
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The problem with decision making in workplaces
I was reading an article on NDIS changes when a sidebar article drew my attention. It was titled No, work from home culture is not ‘career suicide’. Obviously, this is of interest to me as a disabled person who is a) looking for work and b) can only work from home. Unusually for most […]
Advocacy – pre budget email
Today I was reading the news when I saw politicians claim the federal budget isn’t set in stone yet. So I figured, why not email a relevant minister and tell them what I’m expecting. How their behaviour hasn’t been up to standard recently. It’s not my best work, because the past month has been a […]
I’ve lost respect for community
I’ve lost respect for community. Recently a friend suggested a way to make a personal project into a community project. Their suggestion was valid and logical. It was my own suggestion that surprised me. I felt a large recoil at the thought. This feeling of recoil has been swirling while I thought about things like […]