04/08/2026
Disney celebrates National Deaf History Month!
In honor of National Deaf History Month, Disney+ will debut Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language on April 27, featuring three reimagined musical sequences animated in American Sign Language (ASL). 🎶✨
Directed by veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, the collection includes “The Next Right Thing” (Frozen 2), “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (Encanto), and “Beyond” (Moana 2), all thoughtfully adapted in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre. Rather than direct translations, the performances focus on conveying the emotion and meaning of each song.
A behind-the-scenes featurette will also explore the creative process behind the project. It’s a meaningful step toward making Disney storytelling more inclusive and accessible for the Deaf community.
Osmond, whose father is Deaf, shared, “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.”
He shared the reasons he wanted to do this 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. The other big reason for doing this project is to connect with the Deaf community. Growing up, I never learned sign language, and that barrier prevented me from really connecting with my dad. This reimagining of Disney Animation musical numbers helps bring down barriers and allows us to connect in a special way with our audiences in the Deaf community. I’m grateful that the Studio got behind making something so impactful.”
