Dr. Gary Birch, OC OBC [1] is a Canadian Paralympian, an expert in brain–computer interface (BCI) technology and executive director of the Neil Squire Society.

He continues to champion accessibility through his Research and Development work in assistive technologies at the University of British Columbia, the Rick Hansen Institute,[2] and the Neil Squire Society.

Dr. Birch was set to begin studying Engineering at the University of Calgary in 1975 when he was involved in a motor vehicle accident that made him a quadriplegic.

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 based, sip-and-puff communication system for people with severe physical disabilities.

[12] 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.

[13] In 2016, he was awarded the Dean's Medal of Distinction Archived 2016-04-19 at the Wayback Machine from the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Applied Science.