Manchester Students' Union ban clapping at events

A motion has been passed to ban clapping at Students' Union events at the University of Manchester, in favour of using 'jazz hands' to show appreciation.
Clapping has been bannedClapping has been banned
Clapping has been banned

It was argued that jazz hands would be an more inclusive form of expression, while clapping and whooping could pose an issue to students with anxiety or sensory issues.

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At its first union meeting of the year, it was argued that the traditional loud noise should be replaced by the more inclusive form of expression - British Sign Language (BSL) clapping.

The report on The MancunionThe report on The Mancunion
The report on The Mancunion
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According to the student newspaper, Mancunion: "It resolved to swap out audible clapping for BSL clapping at SU events, and to encourage student groups and societies to do the same, and to include BSL clapping as a part of inclusion training."

The motion was authored by liberation and access officer Sara Khan, and received little opposition from the senate.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has been encouraging the use of BSL clapping since 2015.

An NUS spokeswoman said: "The hand gesture referred to as 'jazz hands' is the British Sign Language vocabulary for applause. This is designed to support those with disabilities and/or sensory conditions to participate in events.

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"Students' unions strive to make their events welcoming to all of their students by acknowledging their experiences and responding to their needs.

"We should all aspire to improve our public spaces so that all members of society feel comfortable and able to contribute fully."

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