I have only been in the Nancymac store once and I can already tell that it is truly amazing for people who have disabilities. The people who work in the store are really nice and friendly and really just want to have a good time whilst they are helping people out.

I did manage to interview one of the owners, Mary, along with one of her workers. They were both just so friendly and kind to me. They always had a giant smile on their face, were always polite and were just so friendly to me. My 18 year-old brother, Joshua Skoblar, works at Nancymac and he loves it. Joshua always comes in and out of the store with a big smile on his face; whenever he gets in the car from the end of his shift he tells us all about his day and how his staff are having a good time and how he hears people coming in and being friendly to the staff.

This beautiful shop reminds me of a movie that is just like the store, and that movie is Wonder. Wonder is based on a young boy going from home school to middle school. This transition would be quite normal for some people, but Auggie has a disfigured face, and no matter how hard the doctors tried to make him look normal just like everyone else, it didn't work. The movie really inspired me because when you see Auggie go through this tough journey, that not only he is going through but also his friends and family, it reminds me of all the hard working people at McCallum Industries and what such a tough journey that they go through just to get here and it just amazes me.

One of the amazing ladies that I interviewed told me something that truly warmed my heart: "With disability, like all different disabilities, it doesn't matter what you got as long as you are happy with the job you are working". These people truly amaze me. These hard working people have had special crew training, and all they want to do is just be like everyone else and they just want to put a happy smile on other people's faces.

It amazes me that people who have permanent disabilities are ignoring all the haters because they are different and they try their hardest. Stephen Hawking said, "Concentrate on things your disability doesn't prevent you doing well, and don't regret the things it interferes with. Don't be disabled in spirit as well as physically." Knowing Stephen Hawking had such a terrible disability, and yet was one of the smartest people to ever live makes me feel that anything is possible for these people. They can accomplish anything their hearts desire if they don't let their own disability stand in their way.

I also interviewed the Nancymac manager, Matthew, and noticed he had a big smile on his face, just like everyone else who works at Nancymac. "Don't let your disability define you, strive for everything you want to achieve, and find as many people to help you on the way," he said.

There are many people who have disabilities which makes life really hard for them, but if we can help them out and lead them in the right direction by providing opportunities like Nancymac the world will be a better place. At the end of the day we are all the same, no matter what our differences are.

Sadly Nancymac is now closed, but what it provided for people with disabilities was just amazing. Hopefully more initiatives like Nancymac will be developed in the future, fostering support for those in our community with disabilities.

This story is part of Shout 2019, a special feature in today's edition of The Courier.

Shout is an initiative by the newspaper that gives young people across Ballarat the opportunity to have their say. It also contains advice on surviving VCE and choosing a career that best suits you. Click here to read the feature online.