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Audiologist Roy Christiansen testifies on need to modernize Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Summary
Roy Christiansen, a 33-year private-practice audiologist, told the Nebraska Legislature Health and Human Services Committee that the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing needs modernization to embrace smartphone-based technologies; the committee held a confirmation hearing but recorded no vote.
Roy Christiansen, a private-practice audiologist in Lincoln and nominee to the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, testified Wednesday before the Nebraska Legislature Health and Human Services Committee that the commission is “in serious need of modernization.”
The comments came at a confirmation hearing before the committee chaired by Sen. Brian Martin. Christiansen said advances in consumer technology — especially smartphone apps and modern hearing-device features — have largely replaced older assistive devices and that the commission should adopt policies that reflect those changes.
Christiansen, who told the committee he has practiced audiology for 33 years, said technology now allows one person to speak while another receives a printed transcript on a phone screen and that smartphone apps can reduce background noise and amplify voices. “You can use everything a TTY can do can be done easier on a cell phone,” he said. He also said younger people are more likely to seek help because they view hearing devices as acceptable technology.
The committee hearing included questions about the nominee’s expected role on the commission. Christiansen said he expects to vote on matters before the commission and to propose procedural changes rather than simply reacting to items that come before the panel. He described being invited to serve by the governor’s office and said he was “willing to serve.”
Committee members recorded no public proponents, opponents, or neutral testimony in the room, and no committee vote on the appointment was recorded during the hearing. The session concluded after committee members thanked Christiansen for his willingness to serve.
Background: The Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing advises state agencies and the public on services and access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. At the hearing, Christiansen emphasized that private-sector consumer technology is moving faster than government programs, and urged the commission to embrace those tools to improve communications access.
