Teenager Tyrese Dibba is set to return for a one-off Christmas special lesson to get people learning British Sign Language (BSL).
During lockdown Tyrese, from Birmingham, was celebrated after getting tens of thousands of people learning BSL during lockdown.
MR TYRESE
Returning for what he says will be his final outing, Tyrese is back offering one final lesson in time for the festive season.
Tyrese enthuses: “I absolutely love Christmas! I love getting presents and eating pigs in blankets.
“But there are things I don’t like about it, such as being given socks – they’re so boring!
“Hopefully, this festive lesson will help others to feel more confident talking to Deaf people like me, so we can all feel more included.”
During the national lockdown, Tyrese and Sense launched a series of free, online BSL lessons. Each video covered a variety of Tyrese’s favourite subjects, from family to holidays. Led by the charismatic teen, the lessons attracted over fifty thousand people to sign up.
Sense, who have supported 15-year-old Tyrese, who has CHARGE syndrome and is Deaf and partially sighted, since he was six months old, the charity is helping to give Tyrese a platform to teach others BSL, which is his main mode of communication.
INCLUSION
It is estimated that over one hundred and fifty thousand people in the UK use BSL.
Eager to get more people learning and communicating with BSL, Tyrese feels that the more people that know BSL it will help tackle social isolation amongst disabled people.
Sense chief exectuve, Richard Kramer adds: “It’s been such a challenging year for us all, and we hope this Christmas gift from Tyrese will raise some much-needed cheer.
“If more people can go into the New Year knowing how to use BSL – it will mean less people will be left out.”
Loneliness is disproportionately high amongst disabled people, with one in two experiencing it every day, rising to three quarters for young disabled people.
In a recent study by Sense, one in four Brits admitted to avoiding conversations with disabled people because they didn’t feel confident about how to communicate.
You can take part in Tyrese’s free Christmas BSL lesson here, and build your confidence to ensure everyone goes into an inclusive 2021!