Victorian not-for-profit, Mambourin Enterprises (Mambourin), empowers people with intellectual disabilities by helping them gain new skills. In 2015, access to up-todate software via the Microsoft Donations Program allowed Mambourin to teach participants how to create documents, helping them to gain jobs and be more independent. At Mambourin day centres, people with intellectual disabilities who cannot support themselves are reducing their own social isolation by using specialist publishing software to create videos and compile newsletters.
Challenge
Mambourin Enterprises (Mambourin) is an independent notfor-profit organisation that creates learning and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. A 2,500m2 facility at Mambourin’s Derrimut head office assists people with mild disability into various forms supported employment, while eight day centres across western Melbourne provide day-to-day support for 350 intellectually disabled people.
General Manager for IT, Mambourin, Warren Yates, explains: “Our job is to empower people. We promote independent living for people with a range of disabilities so they can live the way they want, and make their own choices.”
One of Mambourin’s greatest achievements is transitioning people into employment. For example, if a local company needs help attaching fasteners, nuts or bolts onto products, Mambourin accepts the contract and engages the workers. “Many people are just happy to come to work at Mambourin, make friends and earn money, but we also try to get people to the point where they can look for jobs outside Mambourin in the community,” says Yates.
As a not for profit organisation, Mambourin has many challenges of its own. One of them is ensuring its technology up to date. Teaching computer skills to people with disabilities is often a key to securing employment, but to do this Mambourin needs up-to-date software.
Also, attendees at the day programs experience personal and skills growth when engaged in writing newsletters or compiling videos, but these activities require specialist software too. Additionally the organisation’s own employees require mobility tools, so they can plan and collaborate on the go.
Solution
Since 2009, Mambourin has gained access to successive generations of software through the Microsoft Donation Program, facilitated by Connecting Up. This has enabled Mambourin to equip 50 employees with Microsoft Office Pro Plus, Exchange email and SharePoint, and to install Windows on 30 devices. In 2015, Mambourin also adopted the video collaboration suite, Skype for Business.
“Connecting Up helps us to acquire software and hardware at heavily discounted rates,” says Yates. “By reducing our licensing costs to approximately $10 per device per year, Microsoft donations have saved us over $200,000 during the last seven years.”
With Windows 7 and Windows 10 on Mambourin day program desktops, attendees have begun using the Adobe Video Suite to create and edit videos of day centre activities, which they then publish on YouTube. Attendees also use Office Publisher to develop and design newsletters that recount daily events, and share puzzles and stories. Meanwhile, trainers at the head office teach up to 50 attendees how to work on documents and spreadsheets using the latest version of Microsoft Office.
Benefits of the Microsoft Donations program extend to Mambourin internal systems as well. Using Internet Information Service (IIS) on Windows Server 2012 R2, Mambourin built an online enterprise resource planning tool called MERP that transforms day-to-day operations.
Today, staff in day programs receive automatic notifications and reminders for critical activities, such as making sure attendees take the correct medication on time.
Benefits
By enabling Mambourin to keep its technology fresh, the Microsoft Donations Program is helping to create job opportunities for people who might never otherwise work, empowering people to lead more fulfilling lives, and helping dedicated employees to work more efficiently.
The confidence to perform valuable work
With skills developed on up-to-date software, participants in Mambourin classes are transforming their own prospects for open employment. Yates reports that some people with significant cognitive disabilities have now found employment with local businesses. For some, he says, this is the first they are earning money and gaining a measure of independence and meaningful social inclusion.
“It’s absolutely essential that participants are trained in the use of up-to-date software, because employers always ask for it,” says Yates. “By giving us access to latest-release software, the program increases employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. It means that on their first day of work – which can be very intimidating – they have some measure of comfort in that they are trained and working with familiar tools.”
Outlets for expression and creativity
The opportunity to create newsletters and videos is giving a sense of purpose and meaning to scores of people who attend Mambourin day programs. With surprising proficiency, many intellectually disabled people are becoming adept at using Office Publisher to communicate ideas, create stories and express opinions.
Victorian not-for-profit organisation, Mambourin Enterprises, provides training and support to approximately 400 people who have intellectual disabilities. The organisation runs eight day program centres in Western Melbourne and a supported-employment facility in Derrimut. www.mambourin.org Region: Victoria, Australia Industry: Charitable Customer Size: 400
Software and Services: Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows 10 Microsoft Exchange Server Microsoft Office 2013 Professional Pro Plus Skype for Business
“These tools provide an outlet for creativity and for people who typically struggle to communicate — it’s amazing to see the difference it makes,” says Yates. “They don’t just film, they do the post-production and then publish. With new tools, our participants discover whole new ways to get their news and ideas out, and convey their feelings. It empowers people who struggle to communicate and builds genuine communities.”
The tools to work efficiently
Mambourin employees are also using collaboration tools to provide more attentive support. With email on smartphones and push-notifications from the job management system, they liberate themselves from desktop PCs, reduce risks (including attendees not taking medication appropriately), and create best practice workflows that sharpen day-to-day activities.
“Without the Microsoft Donations Program, we wouldn’t be as efficient as we are,” says Yates. “We can react fast, share ideas and create more compelling communications for day centre attendees. In 2016 we’ll start using Skype for Business for videoconferencing. This means we won’t have to pull people off site for team meetings — which also means more time helping the people who need us.”
About Mambourin
Victorian not-for-profit organisation, Mambourin Enterprises, provides training and support to approximately 400 people who have intellectual disabilities. The organisation runs eight day program centres in Western Melbourne and a supported-employment facility in Derrimut. www.mambourin.org
Region: Victoria, Australia
Industry: Charitable
Customer Size: 400
Software and Services:
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows 10 Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Office 2013 Professional Pro Plus
Skype for Business