Clapping to be replaced by jazz hands at Manchester student union events

[TigerDrankAllTheWaterInTheTap]

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/clapping-banned-jazz-hands-university-15223965

This is because clapping and whooping are said to be problematic for people with hearing problems and/or anxiety and sensory issues. Jazz hands are to be used instead. I didn't know that was something from British Sign Language.

Is this really a big problem? Is this a proportionate response? Will it catch on in the wider world?

My AIBU was going to be to think this is ludicrous, but reading the bit about students with disabilities I'm not sure now. We need an 'I'm on the fence' emoticon.

Sorry but you can’t force people to stop clapping.

This isn’t big brother.

I guess it costs NT people little but makes a big difference to some people.

No idea how prevalent the issue is.

Deaf people have been using 'Jazz hands' for many years as clapping is clearly useless to them.

I can only imagine it's in a similar vein to people clicking fingers at beat poetry readings. People will probably clap regardless.

We Will Rock You won't be quite the same

I would certainly develop anxiety if hundreds of people around me started doing jazz hands. It's fucking weird.

I'm so glad I'm not young. How exhausting it all seems.

Yes, I can't imagine it's going to be easy to police this. As for deaf people, although they can't hear the sound of clapping, if they have no visual problems, they'd be able to see the movement and possibly feel the vibration in the body if they do it themselves. I'm wondering if this is mainly about anxious people and people on the autistic spectrum rather than deaf people.

But then what about blind people? They'd hear and see nothing!

There's no way of being 100% inclusive of everybody.

If they end that awful whooping noise, I'm all for it!

Why on earth do people do it? It's deafening when you have someone right behind to you screeching and whooping like an chimpanzee.

I'm not sure either, but how does that work with blind or partially-sighted students/lecturers? They deliver a blazing speech, the best that the crowds have heard in ages and they're buzzing with excitement, furiously 'jazz-handing' to express just how impressed and thrilled they are. Meanwhile, there's absolute silence and the person who gave the lecture is left desperately wondering what they did so wrong for everybody to hate what they said so much....

Eh? I'm autistic and easily get sensory overload as I have very fine hearing. Clapping is loud but a part of life. I deal with it by always have headphones on me to drown out loud noises or even ear plugs if I need it.

It's my issue and don't expect the world to bend for me. I hate this kind of thing...

I have sensory issues but don't have any particular problem with clapping. But I love jazz hands so this is all good to me

Jazz hands are only inclusive if the speaker is deaf.

They introduced this years and years ago when I was a student on the student council. The rationale wasn’t about deaf students, it was because a lot of arseholes on the council were using clapping as a means of drowning out some speakers (e.g. one of them would jeer and then the jeer would be ostentatiously applauded). It was quite intimidating for some speakers and used by ‘old boys’ who had been on the council for ages to put newer members in their place.

I left shortly after so have no idea if the jazz hands helped. I expect someone could even make jazz hands seem aggressive if they were desperate enough to be a wanker.

I’m ultimately for it if the people it’s designed to benefit say it helps them, since it doesn’t affect me and might help another person. I don’t actually know if it does assist though.

Titsywoo 😁🤣😂

As a NT person it costs me nothing so if it helps people why not?

But people with anxiety are going to have to deal with this in many, many situations when they leave university. If they go to a gig, a classical concert, the theatre, a stand up comedian, even a wedding. You simply can't ban clapping from all these events, you just can't. As a performer, you generally can't see the audience when you're on stage so at the end of a play, musical or gig, you would just get jazz hands which you can't see. Surely university, like school, is about preparing people for the real world. In the real world, there will always be clapping.

We need a change now that we aren't putting groups of people into institutions and supporting other Conditions to achieve what they are capable of.

It's a new thing because in the past people with disabilities didn't stand a chance of participating fully in everyday activities.

If this makes events inclusive, what's the issue, really.

Judge Rinder will be pleased, he loves a bit of jazz Hands.

Dd & ds are autistic and seem to cope with clapping fine (both are performers so its a good job). Dh has Menieres Disease and he now has to wear noise cancelling earplugs. He really struggles in public places with background noise. Not all hearing impairments involve being profoundly deaf. His sym[ptoms include tinnitus and diplocusis.

They would all find whooping and holering difficult to deal with

Seems like a token gesture. Will they have a BSL interpreter available for all events? I doubt it.

@Birdsgottafly what are we supposed to do for blind people? Tongue click?

""But people with anxiety are going to have to deal with this in many, many situations when they leave university.""

This was once an argument for not stopping Bullying/Racism/verbal abuse and all the rest of the stuff that you might encounter in the 'Real World'.

Deciding not to go to Concerts, as an Adult isn't the same as not being able to go to events, in University. It's a simple change that will mean that everyone will get the most out of the experience.

Perhaps dream hands is an option

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dm7yAWpX1Mc

If you’re happy and you know it... jazz your hands?

WTF did you just make me watch. Sylvester ?

I love the comment - he's either the nicest person on the planet... or father of the Zodiac Killer!