STOP CLAPPING!

I wish that some of you would realise that the word 'snowflake' does not refer to the people with a disability but to the twats who advocate these policies.

I agree with ChaosIncorporated, you can’t accommodate all minorities at the expense of the majority. Where do you draw the line? I do sympathise with anyone suffering any kind of anxiety, I’m sure everyone feels the same as I assume we all suffer anxiety at one time or another, but banning clapping.........that’s ridiculous. As for it affecting the deaf, many older people, including my dh are deaf but wouldn’t entertain anyone being asked to refrain from clapping. If this is the attitude of the up and coming generation heaven help us all.

We mustn't forget the people who have no sense of humour. Others laughing and having fun might make them uncomfortable so let's ban it. In fact, we should ban all group activities. In fact, we should ban university education. In fact, children and young people should remain isolated from all anxiety provoking situations by staying at home and learning on remote computer terminals with no human interface. They should be fed only on plant based foods through a hatch and drink only water.

I think jazz hands would make me a lot more anxious than clapping does

I don't see why in this day and age we even have to be stuffing hundreds of bodies into a room after shifting them miles in polluting vehicles then subjecting them to each other's unwanted noise and BO. Why not just stream these events online? Then everyone can adjust their volume as they require.

innishowen yes, we must hope there isn’t a war!

One word Tilly.......earplugs!

Exactly sodapop and chaos I have an autistic DGS and he will have to face many things including loud noises.
The more he goes to theatre, panto, events, the better he gets, and after being in a play himself enjoyed the applause.
The minority must adjust to the majority......jazz hands indeed, what rubbish.Loony student union ideas abound these days.

Oh dear! I'm going to be unpopular!

First, I think the ban must have come from a proposal somewhere in the University because of people being badly affected by the noise.

I have worked with both Autistic people and people suffering with Tinnitus. I did research into both at Post Graduate level. I am thinking that the Uni of Manchester must have had a proposal on behalf of sufferers from loud noise asking for an alternative to clapping. I think they are trying to be kind, thoughtful, decent and fair and help a minority who do suffer very badly when a sudden loud noise like a big room full of people clapping, suddenly erupts. It's only being aware of another disability, after all.

Most people do not know about this disability. It can come on as we get older, in fact, and sometimes is related to going deaf, when the recruitment of sound becomes more difficult. It is as if we turn up our receiver volume in order to hear and then a loud noise is like an explosion. For people with noise recruitment problems, and many of these are Autistic, loud sounds actually hurt them and can throw them into a panic attack.

The university is only enabling access to meetings to more people by doing this, because people with such a disability would most likely avoid a large meeting where many people congregate and are likely to burst into clapping.

If we can become aware of such disorders and treat people gently, not with too much wrapping in cotton wool, but certainly avoiding unnecessary suffering, then I think we should. We build ramps for wheelchairs, put in induction loops for hearing aids, why not acknowledge this disability?
It is about education of the public in general. This is a hidden disability and people do not appreciate how distressing it can be.

If the President or person interviewed was not very articulate in explaining why this measure had been adopted, I understand. Not many young people who are not long out of school, have come across this disability. It is not very easy to explain.
But it is very real, very unpleasant and impossible to tolerate by most sufferers, who then become avoidant of situations where they might suffer sudden noise. This means their lives are severely curtailed and they cannot participate in normal social activities or even some things they need to do such as attendance at Conferences.

I am glad this has been raised as it does reveal how few people understand this disability. We need to start educating the public.

Travelsafar did you ever watch the black and white minstrels in ‘ the old days’ remember how they used to come on with their hands that’s Jazzhands
Bxxxdy stupid idea

"lessons in applauding"

I can see your point that if people are clapping along to music it can annoy some if people are not clapping in time.
I don't understand why you think applause should be an organised event. Surely that would sound like disaproval i.e. a slow hand clap.

I don't have a problem with people trying to be inclusive and accommodating. Though on the radio earlier someone made the point "what about visually impaired people who can't see the jazz hands and might not realise people are applauding?" I have to say though I think jazz hand is on balance a better way, especially since as we get older and get fragile blood vessels and arthritis, waving a hand is less damaging than thwacking it repeatedly against another hand!

If people are not clapping in time or maybe ff when perhaps the occasion might only merit a mf, it might cause extreme pain to the very musical. There should be lessons in applauding before every performance to make sure the audience gets it right. Those who can't clap in time should be forced to wear oven gloves. Well that might be one solution!

This is being commented on at the moment on the radio. Someone who works with people with autism ( sorry missed who he actually was) said it was better for people to integrate than for the majority to change. There are coping strategies that can be taught and ear defenders if necessary.

My sister has an autistic step son. He loves pantos and claps.

Learn to cope- life is noisy.

My husband often comments that if we ever had another war we would be doomed.

What a fuss over nothing??

I on not on a 'side' about this. Just my comment - agree a bit 'snowflakey' - but this last year I have become hypersensitive to 'sensory input' - wear ear plugs and think carefully about when to shop, actively avoiding too soon Christmas hype etc. Perhaps its not so much 'them' being wimpy but our environment becoming more complex so more of us are finding we are at maximum load too often?

The hot air dryers in toilets can create a noise loud enough to distress and people on the autistic spectrum. But jazz hands..no sorry. And what about blind members of the audience?

What can we do if we are offended by snowflakes?

I agree with Craicon and whoever said jazz hands discriminate against the blind. You can find a problem anywhere if you look hard enough.

Not really this thread but does anyone else think it inappropriate to clap oneself? I see it all the time on TV but I always thought it was bad manners to applaud yourself.

Do appreciate there are those who would be affected by loud noise. As other comments say there are ways to cope with this. If noise is to be considered a problem/nuisance now does that mean there will be no singing allowed by audience at concerts, no music at funfair rides when they start off. Whistles blown at sports, bells/ horns on bikes. What do we do with babies - teach them to clap hands usually with great fun and enjoyment from baby and adult. Do we stop doing this so they never learn this soon to be shunned way of expression. World will be a sadder place if this idiotic approach is adopted by all.

I have a long term chronic condition, one of the symptoms of which is that loud noises are painful (can set off a migraine) so I have to take ear plugs out with me when I go to theatres or concerts, etc (which I seldom can do). Clapping around me can be excrutiatingly painful. So, what's the alternative? Sit at home and miss out on a normal life? Sorry, but I'm 60 years of age and not prepared to waste what I have left of my life hiding from a noisy world. Healthy people can adapt; disabled/ill people cannot. And anyone who genuinely wants to understand this (rather than just coming out with ignorant condemnation) might like to watch a YouTube video of a talk by Jennifer Brea (who suffers from myalgic encephalomyelitis) "What happens when you have a disease doctors can't diagnose" to see audiences jazz handing, not clapping. These intelligent, educated people had no problem doing this to help her

Ridiculous, stupid, idiotic. Whoever thought this was a goer needs to get a grip. Actually it’s hilarious that anyone even thought of it.