Dr. Gary Birch, is a Canadian Paralympian, an expert in

brain–computer interface A brain–computer interface (BCI), sometimes called a brain–machine interface (BMI) or smartbrain, is a direct communication pathway between the brain, brain's electrical activity and an external device, most commonly a computer or robotic l ...

(BCI) technology and executive director of the Neil Squire Society. In 1975, Dr. Birch was involved in an automobile accident which resulted in injuries to the C6 and C7 area of his spine making him a low-level

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...

. He was one of the original players of Murderball (

wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby (originally murderball, and known as quad rugby in the United States) is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport. The US name ...

), and won several medals in the

1980 Summer Paralympics The 1980 Summer Paralympics ( nl, Paralympische Zomerspelen 1980), branded as the Olympics for the Disabled, were the sixth Summer Paralympic Games. They were held in Arnhem, Netherlands, from 21 to 30 June 1980. Background The Soviet Union, h ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. In 2008, he was appointed an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. He continues to champion accessibility through his Research and Development work in assistive technologies at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

, the Rick Hansen Institute, and the Neil Squire Society.

Early and academic life

Born October 20, 1957, Gary Birch grew up in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

, Alberta. Dr. Birch was set to begin studying

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

at the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...

in 1975 when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident that made him a quadriplegic. It took 4 months of acute care and 4 months of rehabilitation at the G.F. Strong Centre in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

for Dr. Birch to begin adjusting to his new life in a wheelchair. In the autumn of 1976, he enrolled in the Pre-Engineering program at the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...

. He earned his B.A. Sc. in

Electrical Engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

in 1983, and in 1988 received a

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

(Biomedical Signal Processing), from the

. Dr. Birch competed in the 1980 Summer Paralympics in the Netherlands. There he won the silver medal in the 60m wheelchair race and two bronze medals in swimming, in the 25m backstroke and in the 3 x 25m freestyle relay. Gary was also one of the first participants in

Wheelchair Rugby Wheelchair rugby (originally murderball, and known as quad rugby in the United States) is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport. The US name ...

. In 1982, while attending a lecture at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Birch met a man who would strongly influence the next 30 years of his life, Bill Cameron (Founder, Neil Squire Society). Mr. Cameron had been working with his relative, a high level quadriplegic named Neil Squire, to develop a

Morse code Morse code is a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code is named after Samuel Morse, one of ...

based,

sip-and-puff Sip-and-puff or sip 'n' puff (SNP) is assistive technology used to send signals to a device using air pressure by "sipping" (inhaling) or "puffing" (exhaling) on a straw, tube or "wand." It is primarily used by people who do not have the use o ...

communication system for people with severe physical disabilities. Dr. Birch was interested in the emerging technology and knew he wanted to be a part of it. He and another student taught Neil Squire to communicate on the computer by using the

technique. Upon Squire's death in 1984, Cameron formally incorporated the Neil Squire Society. Dr. Birch became its chair and joined the society on a full-time basis when he completed graduate school. It was at that time that Dr. Birch began work on his

(BCI) project. He chose to research the use of

Electroencephalography Electroencephalography (EEG) is a method to record an electrogram of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain. The biosignals detected by EEG have been shown to represent the postsynaptic potentials of pyramidal neurons in the neocortex ...

(EEG) signals from the brain because he felt it would be the most direct type of signal and would be the best form of control for someone with a severe disability.

Recent achievements

In 1994, Dr. Birch became the executive director of the Neil Squire Society. He is also currently an adjunct professor at both the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of British Columbia, and at the Gerontology Department of

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located from ...

. Dr. Birch was inducted into the

Terry Fox Hall of Fame The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame (formerly the Terry Fox Hall of Fame), recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadia ...

in 1998 by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons for extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with disabilities. He was also awarded the British Columbia Paraplegic Association's Leadership Award. The University of British Columbia Alumni Association honored Dr. Birch with a Global Citizen Award in 2009. The award recognizes UBC graduates who have made a significant contribution to the betterment of the global community through one or more of the following: research initiatives, teaching, social, cultural or artistic innovation, healthcare, economic development, human rights and environmental protection. On 23 October 2008, Dr. Birch was appointed an Officer of the

, Canada's highest civilian honor for lifetime achievement, for his work with the Neil Squire Society.

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...

invested him into the Order on April 7, 2010, at

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. In 2012, he was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

. In 2016, he was awarded th
Dean's Medal of Distinction
from the

's Faculty of Applied Science. On 14–16 June 2016, Dr. Birch spoke and co-chaired a roundtable at the 9th session of the Conference of States Parties to the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the convention are required to promote, ...

. In 2017, Dr. Birch was appointed to the

Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia (french: Ordre de la Colombie-Britannique) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier B ...

, the highest form of recognition by the

Government of British Columbia The Government of British Columbia (french: Gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of British Columbia. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assumi ...

Professional contributions

Founding past president

* Neil Squire Society (1984–1987)

Chair

* Minister's National Advisory Committee for Industry Canada on Assistive Devices (1996–2010) * Council of Canadians with Disabilities Sub-Committee on Access to Technology (2004–present) * Rick Hansen Institute BC Neurotrauma Committee (1998–2000) * Assistive Devices Research and Development Infrastructure Project (1993–1998)

Board of directors / Steering committee

* Founding Board of the Canadian Administrator of Video Relay Services for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Persons who are speech impaired (2014–present) * Equipment and Assistive Technology Initiative Steering Committee (2011–2015) * Rick Hansen Institute, Executive Committee, Secretary (2010–2016) * Rick Hansen Institute, Board Member (2010–2016) * Rick Hansen Institute Translational Research Advisory Committee (TRAC), Member (2010–2016) * BC SCI Community Services Network Steering Committee, Member (2010–present) * Accessworks Steering Committee, Member (2007–2010) * Spinal Cord Injury Solutions Alliance, Member (2007–2009) * Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS), Member (2003–2004) *

British Columbia Institute of Technology The British Columbia Institute of Technology (also referred to as BCIT), is a public polytechnic institute in Burnaby, British Columbia. The technical institute has five campuses located in the Metro Vancouver region, with its main campus in Burn ...

(BCIT) Board of Governors, Member (1992–1998)

Principal investigator

* International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) Rehabilitation Research (2003–present)

Member

* Disability Advisory Committee,

Canada Revenue Agency The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA; ; ) is the revenue service of the Canadian federal government, and most provincial and territorial governments. The CRA collects taxes, administers tax law and policy, and delivers benefit programs and tax credit ...

(reinstated committee) (2017–present) * Canadian Access and Inclusion Project (2016–present) *

Elections Canada Elections Canada (french: Élections Canada)The agency operates and brands itself as Elections Canada, its legal title is Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (). is the non-partisan agency responsible for administering Canadian federal electio ...

Advisory Group on Disability Issues (2013–present) * BC Centre for Employment Excellence Steering Committee (2014–2017) * BC Minister's Council on Employment and Accessibility (2013–present) * Federal Panel on Labour Market Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (2012–2013) * British Columbia Law Institute's Advisory Committee for the Project on Technology, Remoteness, Disability and Evidence (2013–present) * Advisory committee for the Bell Mobile Telecommunications Accessibility Initiative (2011–2015) * Technical Advisory Committee for HRSDC on the Data Strategy on People with Disabilities (2010–2013) * Accessibility Discussion Group for the

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...

(2010–2012) * Global Accessibility Initiative Steering Committee, Rick Hansen Foundation (2010–2011) * Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities for BC Advisory Committee (2009–2012) * Network Partners Council for Provincial Equipment and Assistive Devices Committee of BC (2008–2015) *

Council for Canadians with Disabilities Council for Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), formerly known as the Coalition of Provincial Organizations of the Handicapped (COPOH), was created by people with disabilities in 1976 to provide support for all people with disabilities who seek the ...

Sub-Committee on Social Policy (2008–present) * Disability Advisory Committee for 2010 Legacies Now (2007–2011) * Provincial Equipment and Assistive Disabilities Committee for BC (2006–2015) * Intelligent Computational Assistive Science & Tech R&D Network Task Force (2006–2008) * National Disability Advisory Committee for

Service Canada Service Canada is the program operated by Employment and Social Development Canada to serve as a single-point of access for the Government of Canada's largest and most heavily used programs, such as the Social Insurance Number, the Employment ...

(2006–2009) * Canada Revenue Agency Advisory Committee on Disability Tax Measures (2005–2007) * Disabilities Health Research Network in BC (DHRN) Advisory Committee (2005–2010) * Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Technical SUB Committee on Barrier-Free Design for Dispensing Machines (2003–2009) * International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) Community Advisory Panel (2003–2010) * Federal Technical Advisory Committee on Disability Tax Measures (2003–2004) * National Volunteer Sector Initiative Info Management/Info Tech Joint Table (2000–2002) * National Opportunity Fund Technical and Operations Committee (1999–2005) * Rick Hansen Institute (RHI) National Neurotrauma Rehab R&D Peer Review Panel (1999–2000) * G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre Research Advisory and Review Committee (1998–2014) * Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Executive and Technical Committee on Assistive Technologies for Persons with Disabilities (1996–present) * BC Minister's Advisory Council on Information Technology (1996–1999) * Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee on Employment Issues for BC Region of the Federal Government and the Provincial Government (1994–2011) * Premier's Advisory Council on Science and Technology (1993–2002) * Federal Task Force on Disability Issues Reference Group (1993–2006) * National Advisory Committee Industry Canada's Program for the National Strategy on the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (1991–1996) * International Conference on Persons with Disabilities National Advisory Committee for Independence '92 (1989–1992) * Science Council of BC Health Care Sector Committee for Strategic Planning for Applied Research and Knowledge (1988–1983) * British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Technology Centre Advisory Committee (1989–2006) *

National Research Council of Canada The National Research Council Canada (NRC; french: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research & development. It is the largest federal research ...

(NRC) Associate Committee on R&D for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (1989–1990)

Expert and peer review committees

* Expert reviewer, European Commission 7th RTD Framework Programme: ICT Research Work Programme – Accessible and Inclusive ICT (2007–2013) * Expert reviewer, SCI Solutions Alliance, Research Projects (2008–2012) * External reviewer, NSERC, Committees 331 and 335 (2007–2008) * Peer reviewer, BC Rehab Foundation, William Fraser Awards (2000–2008) * Expert peer reviewer, Ontario Government, Ontario Rehabilitation Technology Consortium, Assistive Technology, R&D Projects (2004–05, 2001)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Gary 1957 births Canadian electrical engineers People with tetraplegia Canadian disabled sportspeople Sportspeople from Calgary Living people Officers of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of British Columbia University of British Columbia Faculty of Applied Science alumni University of Victoria alumni Paralympic silver medalists for Canada Paralympic medalists in swimming Medalists at the 1980 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 1980 Summer Paralympics Paralympic swimmers for Canada Canadian Disability Hall of Fame