She made then prime minister Kevin Rudd laugh with joy and caught the attention of photographers in 2008 as she yelled "Love you, Australia" during a ceremony in which she became an Australian citizen.

Seven years later, the former Serbian migrant is still spreading that love of life, this time in customer service at Big W at Majura Park where she has been a popular member of staff for the last two years.

"I could not be happier," she said.

"If someone came to me and offered me $1 million to stay home, I would say, 'No'."

Few people would realise that a job at Big W at one time seemed almost an impossibility for Mrs Nikolic.

She is still in pain and having treatment as a result of multiple injuries she suffered in a car accident on the Tuggeranong Parkway in 1997.

At the time she was working three cleaning jobs and raising four children but the accident meant she had to give up her jobs and exist on a disability pension because she was so restricted in her movements.

As her children grew she began to explore returning to the workforce in a job that could accommodate her physical limitations.

Through Centrelink, she was referred to Ostara Australia, a national not-for-profit organisation which helps to find jobs for people disadvantaged by health, disability, age or cultural background.

Ostara Australia works in collaboration with Nexus Human Services, a local disability employment services provider.

The organisations recognised that with her effervescent personality, Mrs Nikolic would be well suited to a customer service job and helped to get her an interview with Big W.

They also provided a support worker, in this case Mona Duah, who checks in on Mrs Nikolic and other clients every fortnight to see how they are going and if they have any issues with things such as rosters, payment and leave arrangements.

Mrs Nikolic now works more than 30 hours a week at Big W, greeting customers as they arrive, helping in the fitting rooms and working on a cash register.

"I need to be occupied and, mentally, it keeps me really strong so I don't think about my pain," she said.

Tony Gresham is another client of Ostara Australia and Nexus Human Services who works at Big W Majura Park.

The 32-year-old from Macquarie has intellectual disabilities and lives with his dad Bill, who is also his carer.

Ostara Australia and Nexus Human Services helped to secure him an interview with a number of retail outlets including Big W and, as they do for Mrs Nikolic, continue to support him on the job.

He works four days a week and helps unpack clothes and put them on the racks.

Mr Gresham still remembers how happy he was to get the job at Big W.

"I got a call from my agent and she said, 'Do you want the really, really good news?'," he said.

"I felt really good."

Big W Majura Park store manager Raj Yadav said both Mrs Nikolic and Mr Gresham were assets to the store.

"Working with Anthony and Kosa has changed my perceptions of working with people with a disability," Mr Yadav said.

"Don't judge them due to their disability but look at them as an individual."