Hearing loss charity condemns 'shocking' online comments directed at Dudley Love Island star
The RNID have spoken out over comments directed at Sam Workman
A national charity that supports people with hearing loss has condemned harmful comments made online about a contestant on this year's series of Love island from Dudley.
Electrician Sam Workman spoke about how he has worn hearing aids since the age of four before he entered the villa.
However, since the show returned to ITV2 on June 1, there has been comments made online taking aim at Sam's disability.
The RNID called the negative comments made on social media about the 25-year-old's hearing aid and his hearing loss "shocking" and said more deaf representation is needed on reality TV.
"We were really shocked and disheartened by the negative comments that people are making about Sam," said Teri Devine from the charity.
"We don't know how Sam's feeling inside the villa, but we do know that negative attitudes can have a really big impact leaving deaf people and people with hearing loss feeling excluded, lonely and isolated."
Teri continued: "I think it's about perceptions of people with disablities, not just deaf people, that the general population tends to think they don't know - it's like 'how do they have relationships' but they do.
"They have normal, everyday lives the same as everybody else."
Teri said this is an example of why greater representation of people with disablities is needed on our screens.
She said: "For us, representation of people who are deaf or have hearing loss on primetime television is absolutely key.
"It makes it much more normal in every day life and it makes it much easier for deaf people in their own lives because then they are not seen as being different, they are seen as being part of the community."