ASOS.com

Tasha Ghouri was Love Island 's first deaf contestant. Now her time on The Show is over, she wants to use her on-screen fame to make a real-life impact for other deaf people.

" I never had anyone to Look Up to that's Like Me on websites or TV, " says Tasha - who finished fourth in the ITV competition this summer.

Before The Villa , the 24-year-old modelled - for websites such as Asos - with her cochlear implant visible, yet she was a rare example.

But according to Tasha , the depiction of the deaf community on TV is " moving in a very positive direction".

" I think representation is really coming a long way from where it was a couple of years ago, " she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

" For example, Rose [Ayling-Ellis] on Strictly, And Then I'm on Love Island , " she says.

Eastenders actress Rose, Strictly Come Dancing 's first deaf contestant, won The Show Last Year .

" That's a massive thing for the deaf community, and in terms of representation, [it] doesn't happen enough in my opinion, " says Tasha .

But away from the screen, 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, " Tasha tells Newsbeat.

" [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. "

" 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! "

She also encourages others to " be open and not to be judgmental".

" Don't say comments like, 'I never knew you were deaf', or 'I couldn't tell because you're quiet'. I find it quite offensive. "

Tasha is encouraging others to learn BSL, and to become more deaf-friendly.

A month since The Final , Tasha is still with her Love Island boyfriend, Andrew Le Page.

But for fans to understand their latest announcement on Social Media , they'll have to know BSL, as they talk about their search for A House .

The Islander says this is to highlight how deaf people can sometimes feel left out of conversations.

Tasha wears a cochlear implant, a small electronic device that electrically stimulates the nerve for hearing.

While Tasha was on Love Island , her dad explained in a Social Media post how Tasha 's cochlear implant can make day-to-day life more difficult.

" Not many people are educated on how cochlear implants work and the side effects they come with, so it can be very draining for me, " says Tasha .

She says wearing the device can take a physical toll, with the magnet and coil inside the device sometimes giving her bad migraines.

" I'm socially active and I'm constantly having to lip-read. Being in group situations, I'm having to really focus on one person's voice, so I can miss out on many conversations. "

" Even [on Love Island ] when somebody said, 'I've got a text', and read out the message, the amount of times I missed out on what was said, " she adds.

" So it can really strain, there were days in The Villa where I was absolutely drained and exhausted. "

But Tasha tells Newsbeat that the response to her time on The Show has been better than she expected.

" It's honestly been so overwhelming, but in the most positive way, seeing all the beautiful messages from so many people in the deaf community.

" I did not expect it at all. "

.

Source of news: bbc.com