The Pegasus Scheme: Helping People with Brain Injury Communicate in an Emergency 💙

💙 The Pegasus Scheme:

Helping People with Brain Injury Communicate in an Emergency

At Headway Sussex, we understand that living with a brain injury can bring many hidden challenges — and communication difficulties are among the most common.

People may experience a range of communication challenges following an acquired brain injury (ABI), including:

🧠 Cognitive Communication Disorder (CCD) – difficulties communicating due to issues with attention, memory, reasoning, or executive functioning. This means that even when speech and language are intact, understanding or processing information can take longer, especially under stress.

🗣️ Aphasia – a language disorder caused by damage to the brain (often after stroke or traumatic injury). Aphasia affects a person’s ability to speak, understand, read, or write — but it does not affect intelligence.

💬 Dysarthria – a motor speech disorder caused by weakness or reduced control of the muscles used for speaking. This can result in slurred, slow, or unclear speech, even when a person knows exactly what they want to say.

These conditions can make it more difficult to communicate clearly in fast-moving or high-pressure situations — such as when speaking with the police in an emergency.

That’s why we’re highlighting the Sussex Police Pegasus Scheme, a fantastic initiative designed to make communication easier and safer for people with speech, language, or communication needs.

What is the Pegasus Scheme?

The Pegasus Scheme allows people with communication difficulties to register their details in advance with Sussex Police. Once registered, you’ll be given a unique Pegasus PIN number.

If you need to contact the police — whether in an emergency (by calling 999) or a non-emergency (by calling 101) — you can quote your Pegasus PIN. This alerts police staff that you may need extra support with communication and helps them access your pre-registered details quickly and sensitively.

If you meet the police in person, you can also show your Pegasus Card to officers or staff, helping them identify your needs and communicate with patience and understanding.

How to Register

Registration is free and simple. You can find full details and the registration form on the Sussex Police website:
👉 Pegasus Scheme – Sussex Police

Why It Matters

At Headway Sussex, we know that living with an ABI can impact every part of daily life — including how you express yourself and how others understand you. The Pegasus Scheme helps remove some of the fear and anxiety from emergency situations, ensuring people with communication challenges are treated with understanding and respect.

Together, we can make Sussex a safer, more inclusive place for everyone living with brain injury 💙

Warmest Regards

The Headway Sussex Team