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This is my life

  • This is my life

Capacity building being unsuitable isn’t “being negative”

Posted on May 21, 2025by Vanessa Smith

Whenever I advocate for a system of supports that don’t focus on capacity building, I get told I’m being negative. Even within disability circles I’ve had this said to me.   As I say in the post I linked to above, many people with a disability know HOW to do something, we simply cannot do […]

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Disabled? Work in disability!

Posted on May 20, 2025May 21, 2025by Vanessa Smith

As many people know, I had a lot of issues in finding a job in 2023. As someone who has to disclose my disability immediately, I don’t have the option to just slip my needs in later.   In 2025 there was a period I started looking for work again due to funding uncertainty. As […]

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Disclosing your disability at work

Posted on May 20, 2025by Vanessa Smith

“Just don’t disclose your disability until you’re hired!”   We’ve all heard it before. Employment can be a very ableist space.   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 […]

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My needs are not wrong, your service is wrong

Posted on May 15, 2025May 20, 2025by Vanessa Smith
Two white hands are undertaking spot cleaning in a very white kitchen.

I was doing some prep reading for an interview at my job this week (you can listen to it here or the version with transcript here) on foundational supports and it had me reflecting on my attempts (in 2024, in 2025, and the complaint and the response to the complaint) about trying to get some […]

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Advocacy – quick thank you email

Posted on May 6, 2025by Vanessa Smith

I’m planning to document and collate more of my advocacy on this site. Mostly so that others can use my words with a template to save them some energy (though my words are never perfect nor are they the only words you can use) and to remind myself on bad days (I’m having one right […]

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Advocacy has to include loss?

Posted on April 30, 2025April 30, 2025by Vanessa Smith

Recently I saw a post on social media saying your advocacy has to cost you something. Sleep, career opportunities, relationships… whatever it may be, they claimed that if your advocacy hasn’t cost you something, then it may be performative.   I have major issues with this thought process!   It assumes you can lose what […]

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The disability service isn’t for disabilities

Posted on April 24, 2025by Vanessa Smith

Yeah that sounds like a really shitty ridiculous headline, doesn’t it? I wrote about trying to get some disability services in early 2025 and how I’d lodged a complaint. Well, here’s the follow up to that. Maybe take some blood pressure medication before reading.   My complaint: To Whom It May Concern, I wish to […]

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2025 Disability Supports: an attempt at QLD state government supports

Posted on April 24, 2025April 24, 2025by Vanessa Smith

I shared what trying to get supports was like in 2024. Well, in early 2025 I had to try again. Something had changed and I needed a support. From my 2024 experience I had learned more about what state based services offered and felt more confident that I would be able to get the support […]

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  • This is my life

Quiet advocacy is still advocacy

Posted on March 28, 2025May 9, 2025by Vanessa Smith

Too often I feel like disabled people are only taken seriously as advocates if they have the “big ticket” items on their advocacy resume. What does that mean? Big committees, in-person attendance at events, and anything else that aligns with corporate norms. (Side note the ever brilliant Charlie has a post that covers how some corporate […]

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My new drafty thing for authors

Posted on March 8, 2025by Vanessa Smith

For a few months now I’ve been mulling how to help authors with their drafts. I’ve had a lot of different ideas. Some I may be able to enact in the future with my own books.    In the end, I’ve come up with a fancy pants new service called “Oh Shit, My Draft!”.    […]

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Meet NormalNess

NormalNess is where I share my life. And books I’ve written. I vlog sometimes. I also podcast occasionally. In the meantime, hang out with me and remember: We’re all normal to ourselves…

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  • Disabled? Work in disability!
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  • My needs are not wrong, your service is wrong
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