01 June 2023 , 08:31
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Love Island star Tasha Ghouri has recalled how difficult her school experience was as a young deaf child.
The model turned reality TV star, 24, became the very first deaf contestant to appear on the ITV2 dating show last summer.
Since then, Tasha has been working hard to further raise awareness for the deaf community while also hoping to inspire young deaf people by proving to them that anything is possible - even if you face challenges such as deafness.
Although Tasha is now thriving in both her personal life after finding love with Andrew Le Page on Love Island, and in her career too, it wasn't all plain sailing for Tasha growing up.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain to raise awareness for deaf children who are losing out on equal education because of their disabilities, Tasha shared her own heartbreaking experience from her time in school as a shy and introverted child.
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Tasha appeared on Good Morning Britain (TWITTER)
Tasha is raising awareness for deaf children who are losing out on equal education because of their disabilities (FilmMagic)Tasha, who is able to communicate thanks to her cochlear implant and her lip-reading skills, explained that when she was in school, she often missed out on huge chunks of information from teachers because they would turn their backs on her while writing on the blackboard or facing the other side of the classroom.
Because Tasha mainly learned through lip-reading, she missed out on a lot and admitted that she was most of the time, too shy to say anything about it because she was the only deaf person in her school.
"It was really difficult sometimes. When my teacher was writing on the whiteboard, and because I learned through lip-reading, when they turned around, I would miss out on huge chunks of lessons," Tasha explained.
The reality TV star said that while she was supported by doctors, her family and her friends, her school lacked support and education in how to make her feel included amid her challenges.
Tasha says there is still work to do - something she wants to help to address.
"A lot of people never know how to approach people that are deaf or hearing impaired because they don't know how to communicate. You can be deaf-friendly by learning basic British Sign Language, because if you just learn basic conversation, that really does go a long way," the TV star shared.
"Always make sure your lips are based on them, because a lot of deaf and hearing-impaired people lip-read.
"Especially me, I'll always look for you 24/7. Another thing is don't cover your mouth."