Learning the Internet Again

Four thousand, six hundred and seventy-eight. That’s how many emails I see in my inbox when I log into my emails, and I haven’t even reactivated Facebook yet.

I’m not sure what to do. Should I tweet? Should I explore Twitter to figure out what I’ve missed? Should I apply to those internships even though it’s surely too late? I’m like a kid who’s just gained the ability to drive, with so many options before me. I could open my RSS feed reader and see everything I’ve missed, or I could start on my email deletion. I’m excited.

Coming back to the internet is a bit daunting after a full month away. With Firefox going, I open a bunch of websites —- YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, emails, and a few magazines I like. I jump between tabs like I’m picking different flavors of candy for the first time, eager to sample them all. I want to catch up on the blindness news I’ve missed and the tech news that wasn’t covered on my radio or TV. I want to type “LOL” and a smiley face into an IM window. I want to email someone. The world has opened up to me, but I don’t know where to begin.

I think for a minute before navigating to DuckDuckGo, my favorite search engine —- how I’ve missed you! I type in Illinois online voters’ application. I’ve completely forgotten to apply for absentee voting, so I hope to all the routers in the world that I can still apply online. I navigate the Web a bit slower than usual, partly because everything is so fresh that I want to take it all in. NVDA obeys my every command, but sometimes I have to pause and try to remember a navigation command. Finally, make it to the online applications.

I’m dismayed to hear this message: “Voter registration for the upcoming election is now closed. The regular registration period will reopen two days after the election (one day after the election in Chicago). If you would like to register or update your existing registration for this election, then you may take advantage of ‘grace period’ registration… Once registered, this voter may cast a ballot during this grace period at the election authority’s office or at a location specifically designated for this purpose by the election authority or by mail if no ballots are available at the office of the election authority.”

I download the appropriate PDF, happy that I don’t need any sighted help filling it out. I’m once again the master of my own connected hub, having returned to the World Wide Web. People should be terrified.

Then, unexpectedly, I feel overwhelmed. There’s so much information suddenly at my fingertips. Email attachments seem like a new kind of language. Why couldn’t they just fax me instead?

Seeking something familiar, I race to my Victor Reader Stream. I press the Power On button and turn Airplane Mode off. Everything is updated instantly. I feel as if I’ve gained a ton of experience points in a game. The books I’d started downloading in September continue their progress. My NFB-Newsline feed syncs to the newest editions. I whoop and cheer, repeatedly pressing the button to announce my book downloads’ percentages from NLS. While the books are downloading, I log onto AIM and Skype. I message a few people using —- yes! —- a winking smiley emoticon.

I’ve missed a lot of news. There’s a new update for the PS4 that adds YouTube support. And I haven’t even gotten around to reading emails yet! I realize all the news I have missed —- such as advances in adaptive technology and video game news —- hadn’t appeared on my radio or TV when I’d tuned in. I check AppleVis to discover that a new Mac OS called Yosemite has some huge accessibility flaws. Because this kind of news didn’t make it onto the radio or TV, I’ve been disconnected from my own community’s updates for a whole month. A lot can happen in a month, and a lot has happened. Why didn’t the radio and TV stations consider this news important?

I’d heard nothing about advances in technology that concerned the disabled. I had heard about Apple CEO Tim Cook coming out over the radio. But I can’t help feeling there’s news I’ll never know about because I didn’t have internet access. I feel as if the only disability news in my local paper had come from me. My human-interest stories and coverage of controversies surrounding disabled abuse —- I cover all of it because it happens to be my beat. If I didn’t, no one would report on these topics in the local paper. I think it’s time for a change. Mainstream media must report on some of these stories. Radio and TV stations should have reported on Yosemite’s accessibility hiccups. Radio stations should announce snippets of news from the video games industry. Yet, without the internet, I’d heard none of it. I’m stunned by how much freedom the internet offers, from blogs to Twitter. The radio and TV stations couldn’t provide me with even half of what I’ve missed this past month. Having been cut off from disability news entirely, I’m happy to be back in the game.

Don’t get me wrong. I still have the urge to send people faxes. I now carry around a Kingston flash drive in case Dropbox goes offline or malfunctions. I sit and talk to people more. My attention locks onto their words and meanings with laser precision. I enjoy the sights more now that I’m a bit more disconnected, even though it’s cold in Chicago.

I experience things, rather than just living through them or alongside them. I’ve become more productive and attentive to people. My current events knowledge isn’t sharp, but I’ve developed other good traits. I’ve finished reading ten novels, and I’ve written a few articles, as well as this book. I’ve enjoyed phone conversations more than anyone ever should. I’ve listened to more classical music than I thought possible with an old FM radio that sits by my toilet. I’ve done so much this past month that I feel like I’ve sprinted up the Willis Tower. What will I do now that I’m back online?

It feels like I can do anything in the world. I’m powerful. I’m back in my element, with a browser open and my Facebook page activated. But that’s the thing: I can log on now, but other disabled people can’t. Internet access isn’t cheap here in the United States, and internet providers are scarce. We don’t have as many choices for ISPs as everybody thinks. We’re limited by what’s available, which isn’t much for wireless internet providers. The only two that come to mind are Comcast and AT&T. The internet is a utility, so it should be treated as such. Yet, I don’t know if it ever will be in this country.

Some people can’t apply for jobs offline, especially the disabled. This needs to change. Our country must preserve the net and our independence.

As I reflect on this past month, I pick up my cell phone to look at the time: 7 a.m. I open my call log and scroll to Travis’s number. Sure, I could be reading my RSS feeds, but a month offline has taught me nothing has to be done right away. I can “stop and smell the roses” —- and even touch them if I want to.

“Hey, kiddo,” Travis says. His voice is foggy with sleep. “Has the Web buckled from your presence yet?”

“Not yet.” I laugh. “Hey, you want to go grab some hot chocolate or something? I could even come over, so we don’t have to walk in the cold.”

“That’s the best invitation I’ve ever heard!” He chortles. “I’ll send a cab right away.”

I smile to myself. Now that I have internet access, I don’t want to spend every waking minute online. I feel like I should have an epiphany right now, but all I can think is I’m cold, and I want some hot chocolate. The internet will be here when I return this afternoon. I’m glad to have done this challenge and learned a few things along the way. I’m sure other people are, too. I’m amazed at how much I’ve learned and adapted. I didn’t think I could be so resourceful.

“Totally wicked!” I reply into the receiver. I flash forward to Travis and I laughing as we sip hot chocolate and watch Lolcats together. “But, dude, take your time, okay? Really, there’s no rush.”

“Okay, Robbie.” His voice is soft. He adds, “Are you sure?”

“I have a few emails to delete.”

He laughs again before hanging up. As I open Thunderbird and watch the email counter rise, I can’t help thinking this afternoon will be totally epic. I have Travis, accessibility, and even Lolcats to enjoy. What could be better than that?