What is virtual mobility?

We define virtual mobility as:

"A shorthand term for the process of accessing activities that traditionally require physical mobility, but which can now be undertaken without recourse to physical travel by the individual undertaking the activity."
(Kenyon, S., Lyons, G. and Rafferty, J.: 'Transport and Social Exclusion: Investigating the Possibility of Promoting Inclusion Through Virtual Mobility.' Journal of Transport Geography 10:3)

This research concludes that virtual mobility could create accessibility opportunities, both substituting for physical mobility and supplementing mobility, enabling access where previously there was an accessibility deficit. A significant finding is that virtual mobility is currently being used, by some groups, to substitute for an increase in physical mobility, providing access where previously an increase in access would have required an increase in physical mobility.

Examples of virtual mobility include: working from outside of the office (teleworking); conducting business online; creating new and maintaining old social networks online, in virtual communities and networked communities, via email and personal web pages; accessing health care and advice; formal and informal education; and shopping for goods online (teleshopping).

This research suggests that there is the possibility that virtual mobility could influence some of the potentially exclusionary factors in each dimension of exclusion, enabling access to facilities, services and social networks without (necessarily) recourse to physical mobility. The table below shows how virtual mobility may already be influencing mobility-related social exclusion.

Dimension of exclusion	Influence of virtual mobility: example	Example web sites (where applicable)
1. Economic	Job vacancies posted online; advice about CVs; post CV online; apply online; virtual interviews. Alternative forms of credit	reed.co.uk letslinkuk.org peoplebank.com support4learning.org.uk
2. Living space	Geographical isolation need not result in difficulty in shopping; participating in meetings; making new friends	tesco.com zoom.co.uk gingerbread.org.uk
3. Mobility	Overcoming the accessibility effects of constraints upon mobility through use of the Internet	-
4. Organised political	Participation in party and pressure group discussions; government consultations; contact political representatives; support and information for campaigns	amnesty.org.uk cabinet-office.gov.uk nottinghamcity.gov.uk
5. Personal	Masking of characteristics leading to participation; some physical disabilities overcome through technology; support groups; online learning	rnib.org.uk cancersupportuk.nhs.uk gayyouthuk.co.uk
6. Personal political	Access to information about health and social care empowering vis-à-vis professionals	nhsdirect.nhs.uk ebvonline.org
7. Social networks	Virtual communities of interest; geographically based networked communities; contact with family and friends, chat rooms; support	well.org ukchat.com twinsworld.com
8. Societal	Community policing online; online learning	neighbourhoodwatch.net learndirect.co.uk
9. Temporal	Saving time travelling leading to more time for activities	-