Tasha Ghouri “struggled at school because teachers turned their back on [her]”.
Tasha Ghouri has opened up about her school life struggle
The 'Strictly Come Dancing' finalist - who is the second deaf contestant to take part in the hit BBC show after former 'EastEnders' star Rose Ayling-Ellis - has a cochlear implant to help her hear sounds, but Tasha has now claimed staff "wanted to hide her implant".
She told new magazine: "I've been that girl who struggled at school because teachers turned their back on me, who wanted to hide her implant, but I have realised that my deafness makes me really powerful, and I now embrace it."
Despite the 'Love Island' star coming under fire for taking part in the programme due to having previous dancing experience, she has received "lovely and positive" messages from the deaf community, and it "means the world" to the 26-year-old blonde beauty.
She added: "When I was growing up, I had no deaf role models, and there was no representation on TV.
"So, for me to go on a huge show like 'Strictly', showing off and not hiding my cochlear implant, and showing people that it is OK, you can achieve your goals and dreams that means the world.
"I'm doing it for them."
Even though other TV competition shows have signed celebrities with disabilities, including blind former Paralympian Libby Clegg on ITV1's 'Dancing on Ice' in 2020 and club-foot-born hunk Hugo Hammond on ITV2's 'Love Island' in 2021, Tasha feels this still "isn't enough" for them to feel "more inclusive".
She said: "There has been progress and steps in the right direction where as a society, we are recognising disabilities and are slowly becoming more inclusive, but it isn't enough, and we are still so far away from where we need to be.
"I'd love to live in a world where we have a reality show line-up of all disabilities or a soap where we have more than just one deaf person because that is real life."
Tasha believes "there is so much more that can be changed" - including people seeing British Sign Language as a "language full stop".
She continued: "Subtitles are also so important on planes, TV and social media."