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CBC News: Brain-computer tech gives kids with disabilities new powers

June 24, 2025

Jeff, with his daughter Irelynn. Irelynn is working to use a brain computer interface, technology that allows her to control objects by thought. “It sounds like something from a futuristic film: Technology that allows users to control their environment with mere thoughts. But for kids with disabilities like 10-year-old Irelynn in Ontario, it’s an emerging reality that’s helping them connect with the world around them in unprecedented ways,” wrote Emma Loop and Amy Dodge from CBC News.

John McGivney Children's Centre in Windsor is among the first in the province to train with brain computer interface (BCI). CBC attended the training and covered how this technology could benefit people with disabilities, including kids like Irelynn.

Thanks to the groundbreaking $30-million gift from The Slaight Family Foundation dedicated enabling transformative work towards a more inclusive and accessible future, more kids like Irelynn will have access to BCI technology. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Empowered Kids Ontario were among 11 organizations to benefit from this gift, and together are bringing the innovation to Children's Treatment Centres across Ontario.

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to listen to the radio segment.

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