Disney songs in sign language to launch for national deaf history month on Disney+

Disney announced the release of three reimagined songs in American Sign Language as part of its Songs in Sign Language initiative, marking National Deaf History Month. The animated musical sequences will debut on Disney+ on April 27.

The project features songs from Frozen 2, Encanto and Moana 2, including “The Next Right Thing”, “We Don't Talk About Bruno” and “Beyond”.

According to Disney, the initiative aims to make its musical storytelling more accessible by integrating expressive ASL choreography into well-known animated performances.

Director Hyrum Osmond led the production alongside producers Heather Blodget and Christina Chen, working in collaboration with DJ Kurs and the team at Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles.

The project involved more than 20 animators, as well as sign language choreographer Catalene Sacchetti and a group of performers who helped translate the songs into ASL.

Rather than relying on direct word-for-word translation, the team focused on conveying meaning and emotion through movement and expression.

Osmond said, “In the majority of cases, we created entirely new animation. There were a lot of adjustments that we had to do within the animation to be true to the original intention.”

Osmond also explained his personal motivation for joining the project. “One, sign language is one of the most beautiful ways of communication on Earth. If ever there was a medium to showcase sign language, it was animation,” he said. “The other big reason for doing this project is to connect with the Deaf community.”

A behind-the-scenes featurette will be released alongside the songs, documenting the creative process. Kurs described the collaboration as a “historic opportunity” and said he hopes it will expand representation and engagement for Deaf audiences.