Blind teenager set to land first paid job at Kmart after mum's touching post
A partially blind teenager, whose application for a job at Kmart was detailed in a touching Facebook post, is set to land his first paid position.
Pending the results of a health and safety assessment, which the store “didn’t see any issues with”, Zach Moore will land his first job at Kmart’s Kilburn store in Adelaide.
The 15-year-old’s mother, Lee-Anne Domeika, took to Facebook to initially thank the retail chain for the opportunity of an interview, with her post quickly inundated with words of encouragement for her son.
On Friday, the teenager found out the good news and was shown around the store, told about his pay and hours and informed what to get for his uniform, Ms Domeika told Yahoo7 News.
“He’s pretty stoked – he was discussing with his brother what he’s going to buy,” the proud mother said.
His mother revealed she and the whole family were “extremely proud” of Zach, who was born with a rare form of microphthalmia.
The condition means Zach has a prosthetic eye after his eye failed to develop properly.
“I’m very proud of Zach as he’s had to face so many hardships in his life,” Ms Domeika said of her son who suffers from severe anxiety as a result of his condition.
“He’s had to fight so many things. He started in a special education class and is now at a regular one. He’s had to deal with bullying as well.
“We’re so proud of Zach and he’s had to fight for it, we’re just really, really proud of him.”
Ms Domeika said Zach got the job “all on his own merit” and rocked up to the interview well-presented with a good knowledge of what was expected from him.
Zach told Yahoo7 News he was over the moon with landing the position.
“I’m very proud of myself, the interview went well,” he said.
And despite Zach saying “it’s very hard for a teenager to decide” how to spend their money, he took a level-headed approach over his future earnings.
“I want to save it for my education,” he said.
Yahoo7 News has contacted Kmart Australia for comment on the matter.
A Kmart Australia spokesperson told Yahoo7 News on Friday stores across Australia had an emphasis on inclusion and would never rule out an applicant because of a disability.
“At Kmart Australia we want to reflect every person who walks into our stores – whether they are a team member, a customer, a contractor or supplier,” the spokesperson said.
“Inclusion is important to us no matter a person’s race, gender, ethnicity, age, ability, appearance or attitude and we are focussed on continuing to improve on this commitment.
“This is not a new focus, but an extension of our broader and very important focus on improving diversity within our business and truly representing our team, customers and communities that we operate in and are part of.”
