Florida Association of the Deaf

BrandDraft

Voice and messaging

Direct, warm and proud. We say what people are owed and what to do about it.

Tone principles

  • Say it plainly

    Short sentences, active verbs, no jargon. Aim for a grade 8 reading level.

  • Lead with the right, then the action

    Name what people are owed, then say what to do next.

  • Warm, not soft

    Welcome people in by name and by place. Never plead, never pity.

  • Proud of the history, focused on now

    1917 is proof of staying power. Use it as a fact, not as decoration.

Terminology

DoDeaf, hard-of-hearing, late-deafened and DeafBlind Floridians

Don’tThe hearing impaired

Name people, not a deficit. "Impaired" is the term the community moved away from.

DoASL interpreter provided. CART. Captioned.

Don’tAccommodations for the deaf

State the access being offered. Access is a baseline, not a favor.

DoDeafBlind, one word, capital D and B

Don’tDeaf-blind, or deaf and blind people

It is one identity with its own community and culture.

  • Capital-D Deaf refers to people who share the language and culture of the Deaf community. Lowercase deaf refers to hearing status alone. FAD's voice uses Deaf.
  • Refer to American Sign Language as ASL after the first use. Never call it "sign" as a shorthand for a language.

Before and after

DoAccess is the law. We hold Florida to it.

Don’tWe help hearing-impaired people access services.

DoAdd your voice. Join FAD.

Don’tPlease consider joining our amazing community!

DoChip in. Every dollar is a vote for access.

Don’tYour generous donation makes a difference.

Language to avoid and prefer

Avoid explaining Deafness unless the content specifically requires education. Avoid inspirational slogans about overcoming limitations. Avoid language such as:

  • “despite being Deaf”
  • “hearing impaired”
  • “overcoming silence”
  • “finding their voice”
  • “breaking barriers”, unless literally relevant

Prefer language about:

  • Meeting
  • Belonging
  • Curiosity
  • Conversation
  • Laughter
  • Connection
  • Shared experience
  • Unexpected chemistry

Headline patterns

  • Verb and place: "Put it on the calendar."
  • The right, stated flatly: "Access isn't a favor."
  • Invitation with a job: "Add your voice."
  • Numbers first, from real records: "Since 1917."

Tagline candidates

  • Florida's Deaf voice since 1917.
  • Reconnect. Renew. Rebuild.
  • Our state. Our language. Our voice.
  • Built to last since 1917.

"FAD" is also an English word. A century-old organization can own that: "A fad since 1917" is the joke the organization is allowed to tell about itself. It is used in the prototype's page description today.