The MAC Lab (Modality, Acquisition, and Cognition Laboratory) is a research lab in the Department of Linguistics at Gallaudet University, directed by Dr. Deanna Gagne. We study how language is acquired and used across different modalities — visual, tactile, and spoken — and how varied language experiences shape cognitive development. Our work focuses especially on deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing individuals across the lifespan.
The MAC Lab is made up of a multidisciplinary team including linguists, PhD students, DeafBlind educators, protactile experts, and research assistants. We also work closely with collaborators at other universities and with members of the DeafBlind community through the PT Kids Lab — our sister lab focused on protactile language acquisition in DeafBlind children.
Yes! We are currently recruiting participants for our Study of Protactile Acquisition, which investigates how DeafBlind children acquire protactile language. We are also conducting ongoing research on sign language learning in deaf and hard of hearing adults. Visit our Study page to learn more about current studies and eligibility requirements, or reach out to us directly at maclab@gallaudet.edu.
The best way to stay informed is to check our Publications and Blog pages regularly, where we share new research findings, study updates, and lab news. You can also follow us on Instagram at @maclab23
Protactile is a tactile language that emerged organically within the DeafBlind community in the United States, beginning around 2007 in Seattle, Washington. Unlike tactile adaptations of ASL, protactile was developed by and for DeafBlind people from the ground up. It centers touch as the primary channel for communication, using the listener’s body as the space for language. Protactile is still developing as a language, and the MAC Lab’s PT Kids Lab is actively studying how DeafBlind children acquire it.
The PT Kids Lab is the protactile acquisition research arm of the MAC Lab, also based at Gallaudet University. It is the first lab in the world dedicated to studying how DeafBlind children acquire protactile language from birth. Our team works directly with DeafBlind children and their families in home-based sessions, documenting early language development and helping to understand what it means for a child to grow up with a truly accessible first language.
The MAC Lab is located within the Department of Linguistics at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. — the world’s only university designed to be fully accessible to deaf and hard of hearing students. Gallaudet is a unique home for our research, providing direct access to one of the most vibrant deaf communities in the world.
You can reach us by email at maclab@gallaudet.edu, or by visiting our Contact page where you can submit a message directly. We welcome inquiries from prospective collaborators, families interested in our research, students interested in joining the lab, and anyone curious about our work. Our lab is located at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Avenue NE, Washington, D.C. 20002.
