EKO Director Kevin J. Collins, Dr. Tom Chau, and Ina Forrest Inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame
October 14, 2025
At the 32nd annual ceremony in Toronto on October 9th, Empowered Kids Ontario (EKO) Board Director and CEO of Easter Seals Ontario Kevin J. Collins, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Distinguished Senior Scientist Dr. Tom Chau, and Gold-Medal Winning Paralympian Ina Forrest were inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.
"We congratulate Kevin, Tom, and Ina who join a prestigious community of 129 past inductees,” says Jennifer Churchill, EKO President & CEO. “Each is recognized for their outstanding accomplishments, and their dedication to improving the lives of people with disabilities. They are powerful change-makers and advocates who are creating a lasting impact both in Canada and internationally.”
Founded in 1994 by Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP), the Hall of Fame honours extraordinary individuals whose achievements have improved opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities.
Inducted as an Achiever, Collins’ inclusion into the Hall of Fame celebrates a lifelong journey of advocacy, leadership, and community building.
He was the Orillia Kiwanis Club Easter Seals Ambassador in 1973. He then became the provincial Easter Seals Ambassador, also known as Timmy, almost 50 years ago where at the annual Conn Smythe Sports Celebrities Dinner, Collins was carried into the venue on the shoulders of Canadian professional wrestler Whipper Billy Watson. He describes the experience as initially daunting, though he quickly learned there was no safer place to be. Collins says these early experiences taught him to take advantage of every opportunity, launching him on as a champion for kids with physical disabilities, including speaking at nearly 1,000 events.
Following a career in the hotel industry, Collins joined Easter Seals Ontario in 2017. As President and CEO, he leads efforts to increase financial support, expand brand awareness, and create opportunities for kids with physical disabilities. These goals drive Collins both professionally and personally; his dedication and achievements in these areas ensure advances for kids with disabilities and their families, for communities, and secure his reputation as a role model for everyone he encounters.
EKO member Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s Dr. Tom Chau was inducted as a Builder. A leading innovator in pediatric rehabilitation and assistive technology, Dr. Chau is the Raymond Chang Foundation Chair in Access Innovations. His PRISM lab focuses on the discovery, design, and evaluation of novel technologies and techniques that allow children and youth who are non-speaking or have limited motor control to interact meaningfully with their environment. These include systems powered by brain activity, muscle twitches, vocal cord vibrations and subtle facial gestures. The PRISM lab has become a hub for applied engineering innovation and student training, and his team has developed a range of groundbreaking tools, including a wearable device that translates vocal cord vibrations into switch outputs that can interface with communication devices and computers. Dr. Chau was appointed to the Order of Canada this past summer and is also a member of the Order of Ontario.
Athlete Ina Forrest started wheelchair curling in 2004 and has been a key member of Canada’s National Wheelchair Curling Team since 2007. She has won four Paralympic medals—including two Gold—and six World Championship medals, also serving as a flag bearer and role model. Forrest also represented Team BC, winning four national medals. She received the Best Female Athlete Award from the Canadian Paralympic Committee after the Sochi Paralympics in 2014 and was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in 2016. Fifteen years after her Paralympic debut, and more than 20 years since she first threw a curling stone, Ina Forrest is preparing to represent Canada at Milano Cortina in 2026.
The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame, located in downtown Toronto, provides permanent recognition of outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities. Nominations come from sources across the country.