Just do jazz hands...!!!

Yep. Just so.

But the point I'm making is that we can adjust some ( not all obviously) of some of the unfairnesses, disadvantages, inequalities so it's not a shrugging matter overall - the conference might be worth a shrug but not the provision of disabled access for example

I just think it's unreasonable to ask people not to clap at conferences. Whereas I don't think it's unreasonable to choose other paths of NUS activity if conference clapping does one's head in.

I agree, GT, but life never set out to be fair and often is a "poor do". That's just how it is. In the case in question, there are pragmatic approaches and alternatives so... shrug.

And thatbags- it would be a poor do if some people only got to do what they needed whilst others get to do that and lots of what they want as well

And merlot - the answer is that of course it all depends.

Thatbags- thanks for bringing thread back to OP. I agree with you (I think). Of course not everyone can do everything and the Equalities Act uses words like reasonable etc. So take the conference example - I find the idea of not being able to clap actually undermines and interferes with the whole experience whereas having a signer is perfectly doable and reasonable. What I was objecting to was the silly thoughtless throwaway remark about rights of the majority being sacrificed to the rights of all minorities. However, going back to the conference example, if a group of people wanted to see if jazz hands would work because of the nature of some of the participants, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with the suggestion been examined. What was also wrong was to go too far in making too many jokes and especially not appreciating there is a serious aspect to this issue. Also, in general, some minorities are disadvantaged in ways that Impact very very greatly on thrir everyday lives snd it's far more complex than just not feeling comfortable

Does anyone, as in any particular individual, ever need to go to a conference such as the NUS Women's Conference? I ask because needing is not the same as wanting and I guess that this kind of conference is voluntary. People clap at conferences. If one has a serious sensory disorder that renders clapping painful, wouldn't one direct one's energies to things and places where clapping was less likely. I think I would probably take a pragmatic approach like that. I do. I don't feel disadvantaged. Other people have other problems they have to deal with one way and another. One can't expect always to be comfortable.

Grannytwice - I used to teach in a large reception class with an ever increasing intake of children with disabilities as special schools were closing. I was expected to cope with them before they were assessed - and so did not have any help. Some were very disruptive and difficult to manage. This was often at the expense of the other able-bodied children. One mother once asked what about the rights of her able bodied child to an education. I had no answer.
...and no, that wasn't a joke either!

Will we ever be able to have a light hearted thread without having our knuckles rapped I wonder?

Rock gran - what is lighthearted about a post saying the rights of the majority are being eroded by all the minorities? I don't see any humour in that post but I do see an ill thought out uneducated swipe at the battles that have been fought over the years for minorities to have even a half decent life. Some of the posts on here were amusing but some were just ill considerd digs. And sometimes in the middle of a light hearted thread some one just pushes too far and also fails to appreciate when another poster has a genuine serious concern about an issue. I wasn't shouting you down- I was trying to pull you up but I don't know why I waste my time sometimes. Not everything is a joke

I'm with the sceptics on this. Have you ever seen a truly autistic child? I have, my best friend, when we were having children, had a boy who was autistic and it was a nightmare for them. The condition is very rare, and most look normal, so their bizarre behaviour is even more shocking.
The idea of an autistic spectrum was only recognised recently (?1993?) and all it seems to do is give a label to a range of personality types who are rather "different". So what? We're all different.

Merlotgran I think you are so right. Surely we can agree to differ and express an opinion without being shouted down. We are becoming afraid to speak for fear of offending someone!
Part of the problem is that what starts off as a lighthearted OP escalates into a serious argument. If you respond to the OP in the middle of it you then appear frivolous. I think the mood can change while you are typing and by the time you have posted it is no longer relevant or appropriate.

I have read about the problems some parents have taking their autistic children to public loos with those Dyson hand driers because of the noise. that hinders them being able to go out especially as those hand driers are more wide spread now

Being hypersensitive to loud noises is a not a disability, in the sense of seriously hindering everyday life.

I am not so sure about that.
I remember seeing an episode of a programme called "Educating the East end" or something like that.
The last episode featured a boy of about 15 who had autism I think.
He joined in some normal lessons at the comprehensive school. But clearly got jumpy and agitated and lost some focus when there were loud noises and disruption in the class.
He looked seriously hindered to me.

How rude!

GrannyTwice Thanks. I do sometimes despair of this lot!

I never said that people with ASD are any cleverer than the rest of the normal population. They reflect the normal population so cover the entire IQ spectrum. However, the ones with ASD who do have average or above IQs are the ones most likely to develop coping strategies. The less able ones can develop strategies too of course but they may not be quite as effective at rendering their difficulties less obvious to others.

Rockgran - I am waiting with baited breath for the examples of the needs and wants of the majority being eroded by all the minotities - all I can say is 'chance would be a bloody fine thing'.

Jane10 - you won't get any sense from this lot now they are in full flow.

And while I'm at it, there is no evidence that people with Autism are any cleverer than the rest of us - something which you seem to be implying .... Oxford, IQ and all that.

The OP was written in a light hearted way and I'm afraid I don't look at every aspect of life in a cautious way in case I might offend someone with a hidden disability.

I would never go out of my way to offend someone with an obvious disability though.

Must we always be looking for potential misunderstanding?

Doesn't that hand movement also mean 'so so'..... (it doesn't take much....)

Being hypersensitive to loud noises is a not a disability, in the sense of seriously hindering everyday life.

Just when have we laughed at people with autism? Please quote word for word.

Out of interest Jane10, what was the likely percentage of sufferers at that conference, bearing in mind that, as far as I understand, it wasn't an Autism event?