Clapping is associated with all the good things in life. The health benefits of clapping are said to include improved overall heart health and improve blood pressure, blood circulation to various organs is also improved by regular clapping. For children, clapping aids skills enhancement and improves their academic performance. Children who clap regularly are said to make fewer spelling mistakes than their peers.
Students at the University of Oxford have voted to replace clapping with a silent wave of their hands in the air (jazz hands) which is the British Sign Language expression for applause and is considered a more inclusive gesture.
The University’s student union officers successfully passed a motion that mandated the encouragement of silent clapping, following into the footsteps of the University of Manchester who passed a similar motion in September last year.
“The policy was proposed in order to encourage the use of British Sign Language clapping during our democratic events, to make those events more accessible and inclusive for all, including people who suffer from anxiety. Inclusivity is one of the Students’ Union’s founding principles,” said one of the officials.
Jazz hands will come apply at student union events, and if successful, rolled out to other societies and events at the University of Oxford.