What Disney’s Songs in Sign Language Project Actually Is
Disney Animation’s new Songs in Sign Language project takes three of the studio’s most beloved modern musical numbers and rebuilds them around American Sign Language (ASL). Instead of simply adding captions, Disney has re-animated full sequences from Encanto, Moana 2 and Frozen 2 to put sign language at the heart of the performance. The featured tracks are We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto, Beyond from Moana 2 and The Next Right Thing from Frozen 2, giving fans a cross-section of recent Disney hits. Led by veteran animator and director Hyrum Osmond, with producers Heather Blodget and Christina Chen, the initiative was created specifically for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences and their families. The aim is to make Disney songs in sign language feel as magical and emotionally rich as the originals, not like an accessibility add‑on layered over existing animation.
How Disney Re‑Animated Frozen 2, Encanto and Moana 2 for Sign Language
To achieve meaningful Frozen 2 accessibility and beyond, Disney did far more than tweak a few shots. Osmond and a team of over 20 animators essentially started from scratch on these sequences, redoing most of the original animation so the characters’ bodies, faces and timing could fully accommodate ASL performance. Disney partnered with artistic director DJ Kurs and the Tony Award‑winning Deaf West Theatre, bringing in eight Deaf performers and sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti. Instead of translating lyrics word for word, the group choreographed sign language music using concepts and emotion as the foundation. Gestures, movement and facial expressions are matched to key musical moments and story beats, so that signs align with crescendos, pauses and character revelations. The result is that Anna, Mirabel, Moana and others now appear to sign organically within the world of the film, not as an afterthought.
Why Disney Plus Is the Perfect Home for This Deaf-Focused Milestone
Disney+ is debuting Songs in Sign Language during National Deaf History Month, underscoring how streaming can spotlight inclusive features that might be harder to surface in cinemas or physical releases. By premiering the sequences on Disney+, the company can file them alongside their source films, making it easier for families to discover them when browsing Frozen 2, Encanto or Moana 2. Because streaming platforms control interface, curation and extras, they can highlight projects like Disney songs sign language collections through banners, hubs or autoplaying featurettes. That flexibility turns what might once have been a niche bonus into a visible part of Disney Plus Deaf accessibility efforts. Viewers who rely on captions or audio description already expect customization from streaming; dedicated ASL-animated sequences extend that philosophy by giving Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences a richer, more embodied way to experience these stories.
Representation, Emotion and What This Means for Deaf Families
For many Deaf viewers, sign language is not just a tool but a core part of cultural identity. Sign language music that centers ASL onscreen signals that their language belongs in mainstream stories. Sacchetti notes that Deaf audiences are often “left behind or left last,” and that this project finally lets Deaf children see iconic songs in their own language, internalizing every emotion rather than piecing it together from captions alone. Osmond has described how not knowing sign language created a barrier between him and his Deaf father, and he sees this work as helping to break down similar barriers between Disney and the Deaf community. When a child can watch Encanto, Moana 2 or Frozen 2 and actually see characters signing powerful anthems like The Next Right Thing, it validates their experience and invites their whole family to share the same emotional high points together.
Part of a Bigger Shift Toward Inclusive Streaming Experiences
Songs in Sign Language is also a signal of where streaming accessibility is heading. Disney Plus Deaf initiatives are evolving from basic subtitles toward experiences that are intentionally designed with specific communities in mind. By commissioning new animation, consulting Deaf creatives and treating ASL as an artistic element rather than a technical overlay, Disney is setting a higher bar for what accessibility can look like. Other major streaming services have been expanding support for closed captions, multiple audio languages and audio description tracks. Disney’s approach with Encanto Moana Frozen musical sequences suggests the next frontier: content that is co‑created with underrepresented audiences and baked into the storytelling. As more platforms compete for families’ attention, projects like these are likely to influence expectations, encouraging the industry to think of accessibility not as compliance, but as creative opportunity and a path to more people truly feeling seen.