Communication Service for the Deaf Appoints Karen Peltz Strauss to Board of Directors

AUSTIN, Texas, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) announced today that it has appointed Karen Peltz Strauss to its Board of Directors. Peltz Strauss is one of the most respected disability rights attorneys and telecommunications access advocates, having advanced the rights of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind Americans since the 1980s. Her CSD board appointment is effective July 1, 2026.

"Karen Peltz Strauss brings something rare to CSD's board: Decades of federal policy experience at the highest level, with proven knowledge of what it takes to turn access into law, and a warm, collaborative approach to serving our communities," said Christopher Soukup, CEO of CSD. "Her work and ours have always pointed in the same direction. We are very pleased to have her join our Board of Directors."

Peltz Strauss has directly shaped some of the most important laws protecting communication access in the United States. She helped write the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, authored the federal mandates for closed captioning in the 1996 Amendments to the Communications Act and the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) and helped pass the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988. She continues to help advance new federal legislation to update and ensure accessibility laws for video and communication technologies, including the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA).

Peltz Strauss has served twice at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), most recently as Deputy Bureau Chief, where she oversaw disability policy and supervised accessibility rules across digital, wireless and broadcast communications. She helped establish the FCC's Disability Advisory Committee and helped create the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, which provides $10 million annually in free communications equipment to low-income DeafBlind people.

Earlier in her career, Peltz Strauss served as Legal Counsel at the National Association of the Deaf and as a supervising attorney at the National Center for Law and Deafness at Gallaudet University, where she provided legal assistance to Deaf and Hard of Hearing people on civil rights, healthcare and consumer issues. As a legal consultant, she has worked with consumer groups, private companies, research institutes and organizations nationwide. She founded and led the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology, a coalition of nearly 300 organizations nationwide that helped pass the CVAA.

She has testified before Congress on telecommunications access, captioning and disability rights; spoken at conferences across the U.S., Europe, Australia, Latin America and the United Nations; authored A New Civil Right: Telecommunications Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans and co-authored Legal Rights: The Guide for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People.

Additionally, she has received the FCC Chairman's Award for Advancement in Accessibility, the National Access Award from the Hearing Loss Association of America, the 21st Century Accessibility and Civil Rights Champion Award from the Benton Foundation and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Gallaudet University. Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing presents a public policy award in her name every two years.

"I am extraordinarily honored and excited to join the CSD Board of Directors," said Peltz Strauss. "Throughout my career, I have deeply admired CSD's longstanding commitment to advancing telecommunications access and equality for people who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members to build on CSD's remarkable legacy and help shape its continued impact into the future."

Peltz Strauss joins the following CSD Board of Directors: Lori Breslow, Board Chair; Brendan Gramer; Shireen Hafeez; Michael McLaurin, Finance Committee Chair; and Elise Nye.

About Communication Service for the Deaf

CSD is the largest Deaf-led social impact organization in the world. Since 1975, CSD has been a leader in creating and providing accessible and innovative solutions for Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. Today, CSD continues its work to create opportunities for personal and economic growth, specifically addressing leadership and employment. For more information, visit csd.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Communication Service for the Deaf