Just do jazz hands...!!!

You wouldn't usually wave with both hands though, which is what 'jazz hands' is, apparently.

ok, Ive never seen anyone with both hands waving is it just for jazz or other types of music, do you get classical hands or pop hands? got me puzzled that one

If it were a conference aimed at those with autism then it would be reasonable, but to request silent hand waving for a general women's conference is unnecessary IMO.

What about the sensory sensibilities of blind attendees - they might find it disconcerting for a speaker to be greeted by silence.

Whooping is totally different from a brief round of polite applause and should be banned!

I believe jazz hands are part of the Charleston which I'm sure anyone knows was a popular dance in the 1920 jazz era. I'm guessing that's where it comes from.
If you've never seen both hands waved then you haven't seen an audience show appreciation for a concert performed in sign language by a deaf choir. The choir can't hear clapping but they like to see the hands waving.

To make "Jazz hands" requires a fast horizontal wiggle of the raised outspread hands. I'm doing it now - can you see?

I have to agree with Elegran that sometimes the needs and wants of the majority are being eroded by all the minorities.
I find loud noise quite painful and hate (for instance) when amplifiers at concerts are just too loud. I always avoid them if I can and if I can't I stuff things in my ears. I don't really expect everyone else to change for me.

Also - if we were all accommodated in every respect how would we find something to grumble about? Surely one of life's pleasures!

'What about the sensory sensibilities of blind attendees - they might find it disconcerting for a speaker to be greeted by silence.' Riverdance you have hit the nail on the head. If we attempt to cater for everyone's disabilities or sensibilities, life as we know it would simply grind to halt (as someone else said earlier).

Catering for the deaf, the blind, those with auditory or other hypersensitivities, would mean speakers at meetings would receive no acknowledgement whatever, there would be no sense of collective enthusiasm among the delegates. They would be dull, cheerless affairs.

You can't please all of the people all of the time. What if there were at the same concert a deaf person who needed everything at maximum voluime and someone with very sensitive ears who couldn't stand loud noise, plus a blind person who wouldn't know that the audience was doing a silent clap and someone with only one hand who couldn't clap anyway?

Thanks rockgran, I thought it referred to those big 'hands' people sometimes wear at events!
Obviously .....

The 'jazz hand' equivalent of thunderous applause would be a sight to behold

Multiple cases of carpel tunnel/RSI diagnosed in following week?

Oops, I meant Riverwalk of course, not Riverdance

Riverdance? If only

No you can't please all the people all the time. Life can't accommodate for everyone but an awareness of difference is always worth consideration. Many people with ASD do develop coping strategies from the most basic eg wearing ear plugs/ear defenders, shopping online instead of going to busy noisy supermarkets etc. Everyone is different and copes in different ways.

KateK !

That was in response to, "people grinning inanely and waving at you could be?! I've woken up from bad dreams like that."

"To make "Jazz hands" requires a fast horizontal wiggle of the raised outspread hands. I'm doing it now - can you see?" (Rockgran)

I think it would look like you were trying to ward them off!

How about Riverdance with Jazz Hands?

Eat your heart out, Michael Flatley.

Glad you can find something to laugh about in all this.

God! That sounds dangerous! Hands doing totally different things from feet.

Why aren't we supposed to be laughing?

At people with a hidden disability? Actually no!

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?

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

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

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