About Us

* Mission

Central Florida Deaf Services, Inc. provides advocacy, education, and communication services for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind children, adults, and their families to assure equal participation in the community.

* History

CFDS began as a group of concerned citizens seeking to improve the diminishing quality of life for deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands Counties. Naming their grassroots organization Central Florida Deaf Services, Inc., this group of deaf leaders, parents of deaf children, educators, sign language interpreters and members of service providers volunteered their time, meeting monthly to address issues, set goals, and raise funds to better serve the deaf population. CFDS has been incorporated since 1999 to provide services to the deaf and hard-of-hearing population of the tri-county area.

* Our Vision

◊  Aspire to be a “one-stop center” to provide information and referral services such as education, client assistance, and social services to local resources; and advocacy support to individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing, and their families.

◊  Be recognized as a leader in providing quality American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services and access to communication equipment for people with a hearing loss and local businesses and agencies to assure equal access to information.

◊ Commit to work together with the local and state governments, medical facilities, businesses, organizations, and service providers to promote Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and equal opportunity for people with hearing loss in Central Florida.

* Our Core Values
     We strive for:
                   Leadership in service
                   Community involvement
                   Excellence
                   Commitment
                   Honesty and respect
     for our clients, our community, and each other.

* Membership / Volunteer Application

To become a member, or sponsor CFDS, or to volunteer your services at CFDS, you can fill out the form here. We welcome you to support CFDS! Your generous donation to help Central Florida Deaf Services, Inc. is much appreciated and it is tax-deductible. We are a non-profit organization. If you have questions about donating or volunteering, please email to info@cfdeafservices.org.

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* Photo Gallery

Click Here to visit our Photo Gallery