The UCL Deafness Cognition and Language (DCAL) Research Centre brings together leading Deaf and hearing researchers in the fields of sign linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience. DCAL is the largest research centre in this field in Europe with around 20 staff and research students, about 1/3 of whom are Deaf. The vast majority of research studies on language and thought are based on languages which are spoken and heard. DCAL's research provides a unique perspective on language and thought based on deaf people's communication. DCAL places deaf people and sign languages in the centre of the general understanding of how language and cognition work within linguistics, psychology, neuroscience and child development.