Glasgow-based brain injury charity Headway Clyde has launched its personalised acquired brain injury (ABI) ID cards across Scotland, after the law firm Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP donated a card printing machine to support their production.
The cards set out how each holder’s brain injury affects them, together with personal details and emergency contact information, so that help can be given more quickly. According to the charity, people with an ABI are often wrongly assumed to be drunk, aggressive or deliberately confusing matters, and the card gives them a way to show that they are none of these things, including when using public transport and taxis or shopping.
Headway Clyde first rolled out the cards in March and is now offering them free of charge throughout Scotland. The charity said it had canvassed people using the card and that feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Cardholders said it helped to challenge misconceptions, to explain issues such as poor balance, forgetfulness, slower reaction times or memory problems, and that having emergency contacts on the card gave them extra reassurance.
‘A real gamechanger’
Bob Bogle, chief executive of Headway Clyde, said the cards had been created in response to demand from people affected by brain injury and their families.
“Within just a few weeks of rolling out the cards in March, there have been situations where these cards have already been used and helped individuals. They’re a real gamechanger,” he said.
“At times, they can quite literally be lifesaving, and we cannot thank our long-standing partners at Irwin Mitchell enough for their wonderful support over the years. Thanks also to the family of life-long campaigner for ABI awareness, Irene Morrice, for her legacy which means we can continue to offer these cards completely free of charge.”
He said the charity depended on donations and corporate sponsors. “It takes just over £130,000 to run Headway Clyde per year and we really rely on donations and our corporate sponsors to continue this vital free service. We no longer receive any funding from the NHS or government, but are expected to provide lifelong essential community support for thousands of individuals and families. In Glasgow City, 70% of those people we support live in the 10% poorest areas, so we have to continue to offer all our services free of charge.”
“We are now rolling these uniquely personalised ABI cards out across Scotland to ensure equal access to this vital resource for all individuals with acquired brain injuries all around the country. These really make a difference on the front line.”
The law firm’s role
Kim Leslie, a personal injury partner at Irwin Mitchell Scotland, said: “What I really like about this initiative is its simplicity. It responds to an everyday challenge faced by people living with a brain injury and gives them something practical that can make life a little easier.
“Knowing the cards are already helping people is fantastic, and Headway Clyde deserve huge credit for making the idea happen.
“We see how important organisations like Headway Clyde are to people and families across Scotland, so supporting their work feels both important and very worthwhile.”
Amy Gannon, a serious injury partner at the firm, said: “As specialists supporting people affected by brain injury, we know how important it is that individuals have practical tools which help them feel safer and better understood in everyday situations.
“These cards are a simple but powerful way of reducing misunderstanding and ensuring the right support can be accessed quickly when it is needed most.”
Irwin Mitchell’s Scotland serious injury team advises on complex claims including brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputations, polytrauma, fatal and international claims, according to the firm.
What cardholders say
One cardholder, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “I’ve used the card a lot since I got it, and it has been so good. There have been occasions when I’ve fainted, and those who have come to my aid or helped me at the hospital have been able to phone my contact to alert them.
“It also helps prevent misunderstandings. When my mobility and balance are affected, people can often assume I’ve been drinking, but the card gives me confidence to know they won’t now jump to the wrong conclusion.”
Another said: “It helps my family and people I meet understand if I’m confused, anxious and not communicating in a relatable way.”
About the charity
Headway Clyde is listed on the Scottish Charity Register as Headway Clyde Ltd, a registered charity since 3 May 2000. The register shows that it operated as Headway Glasgow until August 2026, is based in Glasgow City and has four staff. The charity is part of the Headway network, which has more than 125 groups and branches across the UK, according to the Scottish Acquired Brain Injury Network.
The charity says its services cover Glasgow and the West and Central Scotland, a population of more than 1.5 million people across nine local authorities and three NHS regions. It also hosts what it describes as Scotland’s only Acquired Brain Injury Advocacy Service, funded by the National Lottery, which supports more than 300 individuals and families each year.
The Scottish rollout sits alongside a separate UK-wide scheme run by the national charity Headway. Its Brain Injury Identity Card is available free to anyone in the UK aged 18 and over with a verifiable brain injury and is recognised by police forces, NHS staff and other public and private service providers, according to Headway. Jobcentre Plus staff in Scotland, Wales and England began recognising that card in March 2021 under a partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions, the charity said.
The scale of brain injury in Scotland
According to Headway Clyde, 20,000 people in Scotland acquire a brain injury every year and more than 400,000 people, 6 per cent of the population, are living with an ABI. The charity says falls, accidents and assault are the main causes in Scotland, accounting for 62 per cent of ABIs.
Hospital data point the same way. A study of Scottish hospital records published in BMC Neurology recorded 208,195 episodes of continuous hospital care for traumatic brain injury between 1998 and 2009. Falls caused 47 per cent of those episodes and assaults 18 per cent, rising to 40 per cent among people aged 15 to 34, the researchers found. Men accounted for 70 per cent of episodes.
People with an acquired brain injury who would like a personalised ID card can contact Headway Clyde on 0141 332 8878.
