The Deaf Studies Laboratory (dsl) investigates cognitive, language, and social aspects of the Deaf Experience. The research aim is to bring awareness to issues concerning the education and quality of life of deaf individuals. dsl aims to bring more deaf individuals into a variety of fields of research in an American Sign Language-based student-centered environment.

The Deaf Studies Laboratory was established in 2003 by Dr. Peter C. Hauser in the Department of Psychology at the College of Liberal Arts at rit. Originally comprised of Dr. Hauser and a group of student volunteers, dsl formulated new projects and began collaborating with other universities to establish the foundations of this laboratory. In 2006, dsl moved to the Department of Research and Teacher Education at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf at rit and received federal funding for its research.

Since its inception, many of dsl's research assistants have continued their education into master and doctoral programs. Currently, dsl proudly teams up with many universities and centers nationally and internationally to continue its research of the Deaf Experience.