Disney+ Marks National Deaf History Month with Songs in Sign Language
Disney+ is marking National Deaf History Month by debuting Disney Animation’s new collection, Songs in Sign Language. Instead of simply adding subtitles, the streamer has taken three of its most popular musical moments and fully reimagined them in American Sign Language (ASL). The project features sequences from Encanto, Moana 2 and Frozen 2, created specifically with Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences in mind. Led by veteran Disney animator and director Hyrum Osmond, whose father is Deaf, the initiative aims to make Disney’s musical storytelling more inclusive and visually expressive. Disney partnered with the Tony Award-winning Deaf West Theatre and artistic director DJ Kurs, bringing in Deaf performers and ASL specialists to ensure the signing is accurate, emotional and central to the animation. For families in Malaysia scrolling Disney+, this collection quietly signals a bigger shift: accessibility is no longer an afterthought, but part of how these stories are told.
Frozen 2, Moana 2 and Encanto: How the ASL Disney Songs Were Reimagined
The Songs in Sign Language collection includes three specific tracks: We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto, Beyond from Moana 2, and The Next Right Thing from Frozen 2. Rather than layering signing over existing footage, Osmond and his team of more than 20 animators created new or heavily adjusted animation so the characters’ hands, faces and body language can clearly convey ASL. Deaf West Theatre’s DJ Kurs, sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti and eight Deaf performers first translated each lyric into ASL by focusing on concepts and emotion, not word-for-word gloss. Those signed performances then became reference for the animators, who wove the movements into Disney’s signature visual style. The result is that Frozen 2’s The Next Right Thing, already an emotionally raw song, becomes a powerful visual narrative that Deaf viewers can follow through sign alone, without relying on sound.
How to Watch the Songs in Sign Language on Disney+ in Malaysia
To watch these ASL Disney songs, subscribers can open Disney+ and search for “Songs in Sign Language” as a standalone title or collection. The three music videos are presented as animated sequences, not just bonus features buried in menus, so they are easy to find alongside other Disney Animation content. While Disney+ libraries can vary by country, the collection is part of the platform’s global push around National Deaf History Month, so Malaysian accounts should check the search bar and the Disney Animation or accessibility hubs on the homepage. Each piece plays like a short film: you see characters signing in time with the music, supported by subtitles for hearing viewers. Parents can queue these clips alongside the original versions, letting children switch between them and notice how the same story can be expressed through voice, text and sign language.
Why Frozen 2 Sign Language Videos Matter for Deaf and Hearing Kids
For Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, Songs in Sign Language offers something basic yet rare: the chance to experience big Disney musical moments in their own language. Instead of depending solely on captions, they can read emotion from faces, rhythm from movement and meaning from ASL itself. That matters for representation; a Deaf child seeing their language centre-stage in Frozen 2 sign language performances is being told that their way of communicating belongs in mainstream stories. For hearing Malaysian kids, these ASL Disney songs are also a gentle introduction to inclusivity. Watching Elsa, Mirabel and Moana’s world translated into sign encourages children to see communication as multi-layered and to understand that not everyone experiences music through sound alone. Visual music—through gestures, expressions and timing—can become a bridge between Deaf and hearing audiences, turning a familiar sing-along into a shared learning moment at home or in the classroom.
Disney Plus Accessibility and What More Streaming Platforms Can Do
Disney+ has long used subtitles, dubbing and descriptive audio, but Songs in Sign Language pushes Disney plus accessibility into more creative territory by redesigning animation around ASL itself. Other streaming platforms have introduced important features—such as customizable subtitles, multiple audio tracks and some sign-language introductions for select titles—but full ASL-integrated musical sequences are still rare. This project hints at what could come next: more ASL Disney songs, sign-language versions of dialogue-heavy scenes, or even entire short films crafted with Deaf performers from the start. For Malaysian viewers, especially educators and community groups, such content can support sign-language awareness even if the local community primarily uses Malaysian Sign Language (BIM). Streaming services could go further by commissioning region-specific sign-language adaptations, improving search tags for accessibility, and involving Deaf creatives early in production, so accessibility is built into storytelling rather than added on later.