The Finnish Association of the Deaf (FAD) is the central Deaf organisation in Finland. It was born out of the needs and desires of Deaf people and their families to work together for the welfare of all people in a similar situation. Founded in 1905, FAD has a long tradition of advocating on behalf of Deaf people. During its history, it has worked to ensure full human, linguistic and social rights for Deaf people and an environment in which they can be proud of their heritage, language, history and culture. FAD has celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2005 with many events at the local, regional, national and international levels.