Manchester University Students Ditch Clapping!

A student union has ditched clapping, whooping and cheering in favour of "jazz hands".

Reps at the University of Manchester voted to replace noisy appreciation with the British Sign Language (BSL) equivalent - a wave of both hands.

Union officer Sara Khan said traditional clapping can cause issues for students with autism, sensory issues or deafness.

But the move was criticised by some who accused students of being "pampered".

Under the new measures, BSL clapping will be used at student events such as debates, panels and talks.

Student groups and societies will also be encouraged to move away from audible clapping.

'Respectful environment'
Ms Khan, the union's liberation and access officer, who proposed the motion at a recent meeting said clapping can "discourage" some from attending democratic events.

So-called "jazz hands", she said, encouraged an "environment of respect".

"I think a lot of the time, even in Parliamentary debates, I've seen that clapping, whooping, talking over each other, loud noises, encourages an atmosphere that is not as respectful as it could be," she said.

 

Maybe we don't need to ban clapping or at least entirely, instead it should depend on the amount of people in a venue and estimates on how loud noise exposure can get.

 

I hate it when people clap around me.