Gemma Pollock
Gemma Pollock, MScOT, Reg. OT (BC)
Occupational Therapist
Gemma Pollock received her undergraduate degree in human kinetics from the University of British Columbia. Before entering the field of occupational therapy, she gained experience in customer service, administration, and program planning in the field of community recreation. In 2016 she completed a Masters’ of Science in Occupational Therapy from Queen’s University. Gemma enjoys using a client-centred approach to find solutions that enable clients to reach their goals and promote independence. Gemma’s past occupational therapy experience includes working in private practice, providing assessment, interventions, and case management for individuals with a variety of health conditions. She focuses on coaching and educating clients on self-management for daily activities, and how ergonomics and assistive technologies can assist with symptom management and achieving goals.
Garry Receives Thorough, Professional, and Result-Focused Service from Technology@Work
A motor vehicle collision over 20 years ago left Garry with chronic pain, fatigue, and muscle tightness in his neck, shoulders and lower back.
Garry, who works both from an office at home and on the road as he travels across British Columbia for his job, had made adjustments to his workstation on his own. He alternated between using a traditional worktable, a stand-up desk, and a reclining chair.
“In my situation, I need to move often to relieve muscle tightness, and shifting from the desk to the recliner to the stand-up workstation helps,” he explains.
However, he was still dealing with fatigue, and decided to reach out to the Neil Squire Society’s Technology@Work program to see if it could be reduced.
An Assistive Technology Breakthrough for Blind Professional Engineer
Grant Pearson, a Professional Engineer and the Vice President of Business Development for an arctic construction company, lives with an inherited, degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Grant had 20/20 vision when he first noticed symptoms of the disease ten years ago, but is now legally blind. “I can’t read without some sort of assistance, I can’t read my own handwriting, I can’t see people’s faces, can’t drive,” he says. “There are limitations around what I can do and what I can see.”
Despite his disability, Grant maintains his demanding job. “I travel around a lot to various jobsites. In Canada, we work mostly in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Ontario,” says Grant. “We build all-weather access roads. We do contract mining, airstrips, industrial site development.”
Technology@Work “dramatically” Improves Paige’s Ability to Work
Paige works with the Aboriginal community, particularly the disenfranchised and homeless. She assists them with everything from housing and finances, to mental health and addiction. Due to her various medical conditions including psoriatic arthritis, drug-induced lupus, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Paige was facing multiple barriers at work. “Mobility-wise, it affects my joints, ligaments, and muscles,” she explains. “Everything from being able to hold a pen to sitting for any length of time, or standing for any length of time [is difficult].”
Her chiropractor recommended the Neil Squire Society’s Technology@Work program. “He saw how much I was struggling and I was coming in to see him weekly, I was having a lot of issues with my disability,” Paige says. “So I got the card, I made the call.”
Lori Continues to Serve the Community
For the last 25 years, Lori has been a tireless advocate and volunteer in the blind community. Currently the National First Vice President of the Canadian Council of the Blind, she has spent much of her life giving back to the community.
Born with a genetic condition that affects the retina, Lori has had vision loss all of her life. “I’ve always been legally blind my whole life. I’ve always had ten percent vision or less,” explains Lori. “I’m down to about one percent [vision], I have no sight in my right eye whatsoever.”
Gary Birch
Gary Birch, O.C., O.B.C., PhD, P.Eng.
Solutions Departmental Specialist / Executive Director
Gary Birch was appointed Director of Research and Development at the Neil Squire Society in 1988 and then in 1994 was appointed Executive Director. He is responsible for the on-going operations at the Neil Squire Society including the supervision of a Research and Development team; the preparation and supervision of contract proposals and budgets for government sponsored service delivery projects; and the overall future direction and development of the Neil Squire Society.
Dr. Birch earned his B.A. Sc. in Electrical Engineering in 1983, and in 1988 received a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering (Biomedical Signal Processing), both from the University of British Columbia. His specific areas of expertise are assistive technologies, EEG signal processing, direct brain-computer interface, digital signal processing, human-machine interface systems, biological systems, robotic control systems, environmental control systems and service delivery programs for persons with disabilities.
Dr. Birch’s current professional affiliations and contributions include: Adjunct Professor at UBC, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Adjunct Professor, SFU, Gerontology Research Program; Chair of the Minister’s National Advisory Committee for Industry Canada on Assistive Devices; Member of the Executive Technical Committee on Assistive Technologies for Persons with Disabilities for the Canadian Standards Association; Member of the Research Advisory and Review Committee for GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre; Member of the Advisory Committee for the Disabilities Health Research Network in British Columbia; Member of the Task Force representing Disability Advocacy Groups and Telecommunication Companies on Accessible Telecommunications in response to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on Deferral Accounts; Member of the Sub-committee on Access to Technology for Council of Canadians with Disabilities; Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee on employment issues for BC Region of the Federal Government and the Provincial Government of BC.
Dr. Birch was inducted into the Terry Fox Hall of Fame by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons in 1998. In 2008 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honor for lifetime achievement, for his work with the Neil Squire Society. In 2012 we was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal, and in 2017 he was appointed to the Order of British Columbia, the Province’s highest form of recognition.
Visit Gary Birch’s profile page on LinkedIn.
Greg Pyc
Greg Pyc
Solutions Departmental Specialist / National Operations Manager
Greg joined the Neil Squire Society in 2001, as the National Operations Manager, overseeing all operations across Canada. With a focus on program capacity building, he has since developed and designed all the programming methodologies for clients with disabilities from pre-employment through to employment and supports. He is in charge of all BC programming and developed the technology department for Neil Squire Solutions, including its roll out across Canada. He has been the recipient of multiple awards and honours for his work in the field of disability.
Katrina Tilley
Katrina Tilley, OT, ATP, Reg. OT (BC)
Solutions Departmental Specialist / Occupational Therapist
Katrina is an Occupational Therapist and has been with the Neil Squire Society since November 1985. While working with people with disabilities at the George Pearson Centre from 1983-85, she became a consultant to the now famous Creekview 202 project which saw six individuals with high level tetraplegia (five of them relying on ventilators for breathing support) moved from George Pearson Centre to independent apartment living. Her work with individuals with multiple types of disabilities has continued over the years where she has specialized in areas such as Ergonomics and Assistive Technology, Workplace Accommodations, Low Vision and Spinal Cord Injury consultations. Katrina worked with Neil himself, as he learned how to manage with a high level spinal cord injury and she has been a driving force behind the development of Neil Squire Solutions. As manager of Neil Squire Solutions, she works in close collaboration with a talented team of Occupational Therapists and Assistive Technology Specialists who perform detailed assessments on clients with varying and complex disabilities.
Zorana Ciric
Zorana Ciric, MScOT, Reg. OT (BC)
Occupational Therapist
Zorana graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University in 2006. She began her career in the field of ergonomic consultation before pursing further education. In 2011 she completed a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from McGill University. Zorana provides assessments for a large variety of clients including insurance providers, unionized environments, as well as employers in the private sector including ergonomic assessments, worksite assessments, assistive technology assessments, case management services and ergonomic training sessions. Zorana is currently in the process of completing the Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist Certification. Her past experience includes working within a multidisciplinary team in both acute and rehabilitation settings in neurology, oncology and orthopedic care.
Valerie Baker
Valerie Baker, BNSc
Registered Nurse, Assistive Technology Assistant
Valerie graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Science in June of 2014. She relocated to the West Coast where she began volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House. After attaining her Nursing License, Valerie worked as an RN at a residential care facility. She has an interest in working with individuals with “invisible” disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, etc. When the opportunity came up to work at Neil Squire in June 2016, Valerie hopped on board. Valerie has benefited immensely from working with the Neil Squire staff, learning more about accessibility and assistive technology every day.
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| 400 – 3999 Henning Drive |
| Burnaby, BC V5C 6P9 |
| 604 473 9360 | 1 877 673 4636 |
| solutions@neilsquire.ca |
| Refer today |
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| 400 – 3999 Henning Drive |
| Burnaby, BC V5C 6P9 |
| 778 945 1215 |
| hearingsolutions@neilsquire.ca |
| Refer today |
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