My name is Khaled El Mehairy, and i am the creator of the Visio Educative Toy , a project design to support preschool children with Cortical Visual Impairments CVI and other learning challenges through creative, sensory-based play. # Help Children With CVI Discover Their World Through VIZIO

**Every child deserves the opportunity to explore, recognize, and connect with the world around them. But for children living with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI), even the simplest visual experiences can be challenging.**

Imagine looking at a familiar face but struggling to recognize it. Reaching for a colourful toy but being unable to distinguish it from the background. Or entering a classroom where the amount of visual information becomes overwhelming.

For many children with CVI, these challenges are part of everyday life.

**We believe play can become a bridge between what a child sees and how they experience the world.**

That belief inspired VIZIO.

## What is CVI, and why does it matter?

Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) is a neurological visual impairment that affects how the brain processes and interprets what the eyes see.

It is recognized as a leading cause of childhood visual impairment, yet it remains widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed.

A child with CVI may have difficulty recognizing objects and faces, following movement, focusing on visual information, or navigating visually complex environments.

These challenges can affect learning, play, communication, independence, and participation in everyday activities.

**Children with CVI don't simply need to see more. They need environments and experiences designed around how they process visual information.**

And every child experiences CVI differently.

## Meet VIZIO: Where Play Meets Science

VIZIO is an innovative, play-based neurovisual platform developed by Laboratoire Nomade Innovation Inc. in Montréal, Canada.

Designed primarily for children aged 3 to 8 living with CVI, VIZIO combines specially designed physical objects, controlled light, high-contrast colours, and an interactive companion application.

Through guided play, VIZIO aims to help children explore visual experiences at their own pace while giving clinicians and caregivers a structured way to observe their responses.

The platform is being developed to explore:

- Visual attention and engagement.

- Recognition of colours, shapes, and objects.

- Responses to light, contrast, and visual complexity.

- Visual response times and interaction patterns.

- Individual progress through structured play activities.

**Our ambition is to transform simple moments of play into meaningful opportunities for observation, understanding, and potentially better visual learning support.**

VIZIO is not a cure for CVI. It is an investigational platform whose safety, usability, and potential benefits must be evaluated through clinical research.

## We Have Reached an Important Milestone

What began as a university design project has evolved into a multidisciplinary research initiative involving clinical and institutional collaborators.

VIZIO is now preparing for two important research phases:

**Phase 1 — Adult Feasibility Study**

Under the leadership of Dr. Guillermo Rocha at the McGill Academic Eye Centre, this initial study is being prepared to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and usability of VIZIO's physical modules and companion application.

Collaboration with rehabilitation partners is helping establish pathways for recruiting adults with CVI.

**Phase 2 — Pediatric Clinical Validation**

Led by Dr. Marcelle Fonseca Falcao, the planned pediatric study will investigate VIZIO's use with children with CVI.

Working with clinical collaborators across the MUHC and Québec's rehabilitation network, the objective is to evaluate how children interact with VIZIO and whether its structured activities can provide meaningful information to support future clinical development.

These studies are being prepared and remain subject to the necessary research ethics and regulatory authorizations.

## Why We Need Your Help

**Our fundraising goal is CAD $60,000 to support VIZIO's clinical research and validation journey.**

Your contribution will help us move from a promising functional prototype toward a scientifically evaluated platform.

Funds raised will support:

- Research preparation, ethics and regulatory requirements.

- Adult feasibility testing and participant compensation.

- Pediatric clinical validation activities.

- Clinical research coordination and data collection.

- Refinement and production of research-grade VIZIO prototypes.

- Analysis of findings and documentation needed to guide future development.

We have already secured support through the Momentum PI program, an important step toward advancing VIZIO's innovation and development.

Now, we are asking our community to help support the clinical research needed to understand VIZIO's potential.

## Why Your Donation Matters

A child recognizing a shape. Reaching toward an object. Engaging with a colour. Participating in a moment of play.

These experiences may seem ordinary, but for a child with CVI, they can require extraordinary effort.

Our goal is to create tools that respect each child's individual visual abilities and give families and professionals more ways to understand how that child experiences the world.

Your donation is not simply supporting the development of a toy. You are supporting research that could help create more accessible, meaningful opportunities for children with CVI.

Every contribution brings us closer to answering an essential question:

Can we make visual exploration more accessible, engaging, and measurable for children living with CVI?

Help Us Take the Next Step

Whether you donate $10, $50, $100, or simply share this campaign, your support matters.

Together, we can help advance research, support families, and work toward a future where more children with CVI have opportunities to explore the world on their own terms.

**Help us bring VIZIO into clinical validation. Help us turn play into possibility.**

With gratitude,

**Khaled Mehairy**

Founder, Laboratoire Nomade Innovation Inc.

Creator of VIZIO

Montréal, Canada

www.viziotoy.com

To move forward, i need your support to secure the intellectual property (IP) of this innovation and officially register my company. Protecting the project through patents, trademarks and licensing will allow me to collaborate safely with hospitals, educators and organizations while ensuring that children and families can benefit from this tool.

Our vision

The Vizio Toy is more than just a play tool-its a bridge between design, health and education. By blending sensory design, innovation and child-centered creativity, this project aims to explore, learn and connect with the world around them in new ways.

How you can help

Your contribution, no matter the size, will directly fund the registration and IP protection process. This is the first and most crucial step to bringing the Visio Toy from prototype to classrooms, clinics and families who need it most.

Together, we can create change, protect innovation and give children with CVI learning challenges and opportunities for growth.

Thank you so much for your support and belief in this vision

With gratitude,

Khaled El Mehairy