Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R32611/01
Title:	Fit Feasibility Study - Virtual Mobility: Implications For Accessibility, Social Exclusion and Travel
Principal Investigator:	Lyons, Professor G
Other Investigators:	Rafferty, Ms J
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr S Kenyon
Project Partners:
Department:	School of Civil Eng and The Environment
Organisation:	University of Southampton
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 February 2001	Ends:	28 February 2002	Value (£):	60,948
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Transport Ops & Management
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Technology pervades our everyday lives and increasingly we are communicating and communicating more using electronic means alongside or instead of face-to-face communication that usually requires physical mobility to take place. A recent government study concluded that socially excluded people need more physical mobility if they are to be able to participate more fully in society. This proposal stems from a contention that this may not be altogether true and that virtual mobility (use of electronic media to access goods, services and communities), if affordable, available, accessible and acceptable might offer opportunities for improved social inclusion with greater accessibility and participation in society without the need for more physical (motorised) mobility. The study proposes, in effect, to explore the need or otherwise for transport policy to explicitly treat virtual mobility as a mode of travel and embrace it as part of an integrated transport system. The proposed work will involve a 'user-centred' approach to acquiring a better understanding of issues and interactions concerning virtual/real: mobility; accessibility; and social participation. The study brings together a project team across disciplines to tackle this multi-faceted and, as yet, poorly understood area of change. The consequences for future travel demand of virtual mobility must be understood for integrated transport to be fully effective. This feasibility study is intended to progress to a large scale monitoring and evaluation study of the effects of introducing virtual mobility into a community that suffers from a a number of aspects of social exclusion.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.soton.ac.uk