A.A. IN CYBERSPACE - THE FUTURE > Page 1, 2

Meeting Special Needs

Now, a little something should be said about what may become a very special focus of AA in cyberspace in the not-to-distant future. It is the area we call Special Needs.

For some people with special needs like the deaf, the visually impaired and blind (yes, there’s even special software – increasingly useful – for the sightless), the disabled, the homebound and for geographically isolated alcoholics, cyberspace offers all of these the chance of forming new AA meeting communities or for just melding with existing AA.

Cyberspace will be increasingly available to those who have difficulty reading – using special software - and there is tremendous promise in the use of translation software, which will lessen the difficulty of carrying the AA message across language barriers and will allow full participation for any member regardless of any and all speech difficulties.

And how we might ask will all of these cyber-groups be able to participate in the collective conscience of AA? What is this all about?

Service Structure

Most A.A.’s know we have 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts that guide our groups and general service structures. Well, we have AA groups meeting online practicing these same principles. But most online groups – which have members from all over the world - don’t fit into any of the present service structures because they’re organized within geographical boundaries.

Online groups are not able to effectively participate in any Conference process today. They effectively lack a voice in AA as a whole. I believe this will change in the coming years.

Increasingly, the OIAA, the Online Intergroup, is finding itself as the service arm for groups meeting in cyberspace. It is exciting to me to see the OIAA – in many respects still in its infancy – assuming a key service role in cyberspace. Its member groups include members with energy and creativity in utilizing the full power of this medium and applying their talents to helping drunks. I believe this will be the place where online AA groups will have a chance to voice their conscience on matter affecting AA as a whole.

I believe the day will come when we will see participation of the OIAA or something like it carrying the conscience of the online AA groups into the World Service Meeting - the biennial get-together of GSO’s from all around the world to discuss matters of unity and mutual concern.

Give it Time

This will not happen overnight but I believe it will evolve if we attend to our AA spiritual business – carrying the message to the sick and suffering alcoholic whenever and wherever we may be of use in the new reality of cyberspace. If we focus our energies on doing the service, the rest will take care of itself. We need to give time, time as we tell newcomers.

As the cyber-groups of AA learn how to apply the principles we so cherish as a society – unity through reliance on a Higher Power, inclusivity without losing sight of our singleness of purpose, self-support and non-affiliation, avoidance of outside controversy and, most essentially - how to protect and preserve the anonymity of our individual members – we want to add our collective voice to those in the world around us. In other words, we want a way to relate to Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole.

What is likely to happen, in my opinion, is that a service structure will continue to evolve from what we have today. The OIAA is the present “hub” of AA service for the online fellowship and is well positioned to undertake new and growing services on behalf of the online groups.

Additional services will grow around Special Needs, Public Information to Professional Communities which meet in cyberspace; and the coordination between Treatment Centers and even Correctional Facilities using cyber-links to the online community to ease the transition back into one’s home community are increasingly likely.

Distant Reaches

We might ask: “Is this really going to happen?” I believe the answer is, as usual, right before us in our literature.

In an article in the November 1960 Grapevine entitled “Freedom under God – the Choice is Ours” Bill W. said:

“We now entrust you of AA’s distant reaches – you who so well symbolize the unique and loving communication that is ours in this universal Fellowship – to carry this message to fellow members everywhere; and most especially to all those others who still know not, and who, God willing, may soon issue out of their darkness into light.”

And in our Big Book – there is a chapter entitled “A Vision For You.” As usual Bill said it best when answering the question of whether and how we will have contact with each other:

“We cannot be sure. God will determine that, so you must remember that your real reliance is upon Him. He will show you how to create the fellowship you crave… May God bless you and keep you – until then.”

Thank you.