#Chances4Children: 50,000 people sign up for BSL lessons from Deaf and partially sighted teen
Fiona Simpson
Monday, August 17, 2020
More than 50,000 have taken part in British Sign Language (BSL) lessons run by a Deaf and partially-sighted 15-year-old boy.
Tyrese Dibba, from Birmingham, is the face of disability charity Sense’s Sense Sign School campaign.
The online campaign, designed to teach BSL to people during lockdown, saw those who signed-up receive a new lesson taught by Dibba every five days.
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Topic hub: Special Educational Needs & Disabilities
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It aimed to break down communication barriers and highlight rising loneliness and social isolation faced by disabled people.
Dibba’s charismatic performance has been hailed as the reason behind the campaign's success.
The teenager has CHARGE syndrome, a complex genetic syndrome which affects babies from birth. While CHARGE can present itself differently in each child, common symptoms include hearing and sight impairment and problems with balance which combined can result in developmental delay.
Sense has supported Dibba since he was just six months old. He now receives support from the charity in form of support workers and takes part in Sense events and holidays.
He said: “I want more people to learn to sign, so Deaf people don’t get excluded. You should be able to chat to someone, whatever their disability might be. After all, no one likes feeling left out.”
Chris Jarrett, director of engagement at Sense, said: “Hundreds of thousands of people who are Deaf use BSL as their first language, and if more people are able to use it, we can ensure that less people are left out, which is our charity’s mission.”