What FAD
stands for.
FAD exists so Deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened and DeafBlind Floridians have a statewide voice and a local community — not just one or the other.
Mission
The Florida Association of the Deaf, Inc. (FAD) is affiliated with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and pursues several core objectives:
01
Protect education
To promote and safeguard the educational system for self-preservation.
02
Raise awareness
To promote awareness of communication difficulties and methods.
03
Promote devices
To promote the use of communication devices.
04
Promote safety
To promote the use of protective signaling devices.
05
Watch legislation
To serve as a watchdog of legislation or practices that may affect Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened individuals.
06
Support organizations
To support, with reason, all phases of various organizations and associations working with and for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened individuals.
07
Support local clubs
To support fully the affiliated clubs and Associations of the Deaf in Florida in their efforts to bring about greater civic and social interaction of the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened community.
History
FAD is a hundred and nine years old and affiliated with the National Association of the Deaf. Forty-nine Biennial conferences have happened since 1917; the fiftieth is next.
A fuller written history — founding chapter, past conferences, the people who built this — is being assembled from FAD's own records. What's certain: the organization has run continuously since 1917, through two world wars and every hurricane since, and the fiftieth Biennial in October 2027 carries that record forward.
Bylaws
Adopted during the 2026 FAD Conference in Kissimmee, Florida.
Article 1 — Name
1.1 Name. The name of the organization shall be the Florida Association of the Deaf, hereafter referred to as the Association.
Article 2 — Object
2.1 Objective. The objective of the Association shall be to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind individuals in Florida.
2.2 Status. The Association shall be a nonprofit organization, incorporated in the State of Florida.
2.3 Relationship. The Association shall be a state association affiliate member of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) in good standing, with associated benefits and privileges.
2.4 Membership. Individual membership in the Association shall be open to all deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, deaf-blind, or hearing individuals, without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Association shall also offer organizational membership categories.
Article 3 — Membership
3.1 Membership Categories. The Association shall offer an Individual Membership category and two organizational categories: Affiliate Membership and Nonprofit Membership.
3.2 Individual Membership. Individual Membership shall be open to anyone eighteen (18) years of age and over.
3.2.1 Status. Individual Member status shall be conferred upon individuals upon payment of annual dues.
3.2.2 Privileges. Individual Members in good standing shall be entitled to voting representation at biennial State Conferences.
3.3 Affiliate Membership. Affiliate Membership shall be open to eligible local and state clubs or organizations.
3.3.1 Status. Affiliate Membership status shall be conferred to local and state clubs or organizations in Florida led by and representing deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind people, upon payment of annual dues.
3.3.2 Privileges. Affiliate Members in good standing shall be entitled to voting representation at biannual Board Meetings and biennial State Conferences. Affiliate Members with 99 members or fewer shall designate one (1) representative, and those with 100 or more members shall designate up to two (2) representatives. Each designated representative shall also be an Individual Member in good standing.
3.4 Nonprofit Membership. Nonprofit Membership shall be open to eligible local and state nonprofit entities or government agencies.
3.4.1 Status. Nonprofit Membership status shall be conferred on local and state nonprofit entities or government agencies in Florida that provide services to deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind people, upon payment of annual dues.
3.4.2 Privileges. Nonprofit Members in good standing shall be entitled to one (1) non-voting representative at biannual Board Meetings. The designated representative shall also be an Individual Member in good standing.
3.5 Membership Dues. The Board of Directors shall determine dues for all membership categories.
Article 4 — Board of Directors
4.1 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Association shall be composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Immediate Past President, Appointed Members, and Affiliate Organization Representatives.
4.2 Elected Officers. The President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Board of Directors shall be elected by ballot at the biennial State Conference. The Board of Directors will select the Treasurer after vetting and interviews by the President and one additional board member. Individual Members who seek office shall be deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind, be full-time Florida residents (6 months or more), be members in good standing for the two (2) years preceding the election and shall have attended at least one (1) State Conference.
4.3 Immediate Past President. The outgoing President of the Board of Directors, upon completion of the term of office, shall assume the role of Immediate Past President.
4.4 Appointed Members. The Board of Directors may select up to two (2) Appointed Members for special expertise. Individual Members considered for appointment shall be deaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened, or deaf-blind, be full-time Florida residents (6 months or more), be members in good standing for the two (2) years preceding election and shall have attended at least one (1) State Conference.
4.5 Candidacy Requirements. The Election Committee shall receive completed candidacy forms, requisite background information, and proof of membership from prospective candidates for elected Board positions no later than thirty (30) days before the biennial State Conference to verify that candidacy requirements are met. Names of official Board candidates shall be posted seven (7) days before the start of the conference. If there are no prospects for a particular Board position, the Election Committee shall receive candidacy documents before the conference business meeting begins.
4.6 Terms of Office. Elected Officers of the Board of Directors shall be eligible to serve for no more than two (2) consecutive two-year terms. Appointed Members of the Board shall be eligible to serve for no more than two (2) consecutive two-year terms.
4.7 Assumption of Office. Elected Officers shall assume their respective Board duties immediately after adjournment of the biennial State Conference. Appointed Members shall start their respective Board duties no later than sixty (60) days after the conference. Designated representatives of Affiliate Members shall start their respective Board duties no later than thirty (30) days after the conference.
4.8 Duties of Office. The Board of Directors shall have general control of the affairs of the Association between biennial State Conferences. During this time, they shall consider action on conference recommendations and membership input. The Board shall have the power to fill Board vacancies except for the office of President if these occur between biennial State Conferences. The Board shall undertake actions to ensure the financial health and growth of the Association and to ensure that the Association's expenditure does not at any time exceed its income for each fiscal year.
Article 4 — Board of Directors (continued)
4.9 Duties of the Board of Directors. Duties specific to each member of the Board of Directors are as follows:
4.9.1 President. The President shall be the chief spokesperson for the Association and shall chair official Board meetings and business meetings during biennial State Conferences. The President, with Board approval, shall appoint the chair of each standing committee other than the Finance Committee and shall be an ex officio member of all committees.
4.9.2 Vice President. The Vice President shall perform duties agreed upon by the Board and shall serve at any time the President is unable to serve or when the office of the President becomes vacant.
4.9.3 Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of Board meetings, business meetings held during the State Conference, and the Association's official documents.
4.9.4 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be appointed to the Board of Directors after a thorough background check and an interview conducted by the President and another board member. The recommendation for the new Treasurer shall be voted on and approved by the entire Board of Directors at the next Board meeting. The Treasurer shall oversee the Association's vested funds, serve as chair of the Finance Committee, and submit an annual budget for the upcoming year to the entire Board for approval just before the start of the next fiscal year. The Treasurer should also have experience with nonprofit financial reporting.
4.9.5 Immediate Past President. The Immediate Past President shall confer with the President and provide input to the Board of Directors.
4.9.6 Affiliate Member Representatives. Affiliated Members shall serve as liaisons between the Board and their respective organizations and work with the Board of Directors as a whole.
4.10 Resignation. Resignations from the Board of Directors must be submitted in writing to the President and the Secretary.
4.11 Removal from Office. Elected and appointed members of the Board may be removed after a due process hearing for failure to carry out their duties or for other good and sufficient reason by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board of Directors present and voting.
4.12 Conflict of Interest. Elected and appointed members of the Board of Directors, before acceptance and during their tenure, shall consider each item of business, where they have a vote or decision authority, to determine if a real or perceived conflict exists with the interests of the Association. In the event of such a conflict, the Board member shall promptly disclose the conflict to the Board and recuse themselves from deliberations or voting on the matter giving rise to the conflict of interest.
4.13 Compensation. Members of the Board of Directors shall serve without compensation except for standard expense reimbursement for costs incurred in the discharge of duties.
4.14 Indemnification. The Association will indemnify any Board or committee member for expenses they genuinely incur while defending civil actions, suits, or proceedings related to their role, provided they are found not liable. This indemnity is not exclusive and does not restrict any other rights such members might possess under bylaws, agreements, Board votes, or other rules.
Article 5 — Meetings
5.1 Full Board Meetings. The full Board of Directors, including representatives of Affiliate Member organizations, shall meet quarterly to receive progress reports on Association business. Such meetings may be held via video conference, shall be open to the public, shall be announced 60 days in advance, and shall take place in geographically accessible regions of the state.
5.2 Executive Board Meetings. The Executive Board of Directors, composed of elected and appointed members and the immediate past president, shall convene no less than four (4) times each year to conduct Association business. Such meetings may be held via Videoconference, shall be open to the public, shall be announced 30 days in advance, and shall take place in geographically accessible regions of the state.
5.3 Executive Sessions. The Executive Board of Directors shall convene in executive session where circumstances warrant, that is, when discussing matters of a sensitive, personnel, or litigious nature.
5.4 Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called upon the request of the President or any three (3) Board elected or appointed members. Notification shall be given to the Executive Board of Directors at least seven (7) days before the meeting. Such meetings may be held by electronic conference or similar video communication methods. Electronic vote results shall be ratified at the next Executive Board meeting.
5.5 Email Motions & Voting. The Executive Board of Directors may, when necessary, deliberate and vote on a formal motion presented via email or videoconference.
5.6 Biennial Conferences. The Association shall meet biennially at the State Conference in odd-numbered years.
5.6.1 Business Meeting. The Executive Board of Directors shall provide for an official business meeting at the biennial State Conference to report on the Association's progress. Further, members in good standing with voting privileges shall have the opportunity to deliberate on priorities for the next two years, consider proposed amendments to the bylaws, and elect new Board officers.
5.6.2 Bids & Site Selection. Affiliate Member organizations may bid to serve as host for the next biennial State Conference. Such bids shall be in accordance with site selection and hosting policies and procedures established and announced by the Executive Board of Directors, including the selection of the winning bid.
5.7 Quorum. A quorum to conduct business at any annual, regular, special, or committee meetings shall be a majority of the voting membership registered to attend the meeting. An exception to this rule shall be both bylaws and dissolution meetings in which the bylaws may be amended as specified in Articles 8 and 9 below.
Article 6 — Committees
6.1 Standing Committees. The standing committees of the Board of Directors shall be the Bylaws, Communications (Outreach/Social Media), Finance (Fundraising), Investment, and Membership committees. The President, with Board approval, shall appoint the chairs of each committee (other than Finance), and the Vice President shall serve as Board liaison on all committees.
6.2 Ad Hoc & Special Committees. The Board of Directors may form ad hoc or special committees from time to time as needed. These may include committees focusing on biennial State Conference matters, specific projects, and task forces. The President, with Board approval, shall appoint the chairs of each committee, and the Vice President shall serve as Board liaison on all committees.
Article 8 — Amendments
8.1 Proposed Amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present and voting at the biennial State Conference, provided that amendments are submitted to the Bylaws Committee sixty (60) days before the conference, that proposed amendments are distributed to the members at least thirty (30) days before the conference, and that the amendments are read during the conference. Any amendments or motions passed at the State Conference shall become effective immediately, unless specified otherwise.
8.2 Suspensions. These bylaws may NOT be suspended for any purpose at the Biennial State Conference by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of members present and voting.
Article 9 — Dissolution
9.1 Dissolution of Assets. Upon the dissolution (2/3 vote) of the whole Association through mail ballots, all of its assets remaining after payment of all expenses of such dissolution shall be distributed to a bona-fide nonprofit (preferably an organization that is run by deaf people as outlined in these bylaws) fund, foundation, or association that serves Florida Deaf citizens and that is organized and operated exclusively for purposes that is qualified for exemption under Section 501 (c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. The Board of Directors and any individual members of the Association shall not receive any assets for any purpose.