To honor Deaf History Month this year, Disney re-animated several popular songs to depict characters using American Sign Language.

“Deaf History Month is important because it recognizes the history, achievements and contributions of the Deaf community,” ASL teacher Labrisha Lee said. “It also raises awareness about Deaf culture and promotes respect for American Sign Language as a complete and meaningful language.”

Lee highlighted the impact Disney’s re-animations can have on Deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) individuals.

“Including ASL in Disney songs allows Deaf and HOH individuals to experience the music in a visual and meaningful way,” Lee said. “It helps them better understand the lyrics and feel included in something that is often designed for hearing audiences.”

This project was directed by Disney animator and director Hyrum Osmond and consisted of three songs. The reimagined pieces were “The Next Right Thing” from “Frozen 2,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto” and “Beyond” from “Moana 2.” 

Savannah College of Art and Design animation professor Gregg Azzopardi explained the typical amount of time a full-length film typically takes.

“An average Feature Animated Film can take anywhere between four to six years to produce,” Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi said animators of this project likely utilized past work to create the new animation, making this project take less time.

“A smaller project of this size would be significantly less [time] because of the existing animation they used,” Azzopardi said.

Lee explained the importance of ASL to the Deaf and HOH community, and thereby, the importance of this project.

“Sign language is essential because it provides full access to communication, allowing individuals to express themselves clearly,” Lee said. “It is also deeply connected to identity, culture and a sense of belonging within the Deaf community.”

To complete this project and ensure signing accuracy, Disney partnered with the Deaf West Theater’s artistic director DJ Kurs and sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti.

Deaf and hard of hearing teacher at the Atlanta School for the Deaf, Greg Reese, said the project’s influence spans beyond the Deaf and HOH communities.

“I consider ASL songs’ impact awesomely educational, inspirational and informative for anyone, especially children,” Reese said. “The songs encourage Deaf and HOH children to learn more about their languages and cultures and explore further their own artistic creativity.”

Lee believes this development acts as a gateway for more representation.

“It sets a new standard by showing that accessibility can be built into content from the beginning,” Lee said. “Including sign language in animation encourages other creators to think more intentionally about inclusion and representation.”

Reese shares this sentiment, stating that developments in accessible media for Deaf and HOH individuals have already been taken.

“The songs are significantly one step closer to making the world of technology and online content more Deaf-friendly,” Reese said. “There are already videos and images with subtitles and captions, features that even hearing people appreciate when in loud environments or in privacy.”

Music is a way many Deaf and HOH people can connect, according to Reese. He stated that at his school, they use songs to carry a message to students.

“We have a school song that we sing and sign at assemblies and special events,” Reese said. “We use a drum to reinforce the song’s inspiring message. We adopted a pattern of two slow beats, then three quick ones, repeat. I also witnessed students signing to music they hear through their earphones and Bluetooth hearing aids. I also see the students moving in sync to the music they hear and/or feel.”

While he believes these songs are an important stepping stone to accessibility, Reese does see some issues with the project in that there is much more that can be done.

“As someone who is fluent in ASL and [has taught] it longer than English, I consider the songs not quite ideal,” Reese said. “There are flaws that I believe can be corrected in later-generation digitally-developed songs.  For the ASL songs being created and shown for the first time, they are awesome – beyond belief, even – but they can be so much better. The bottom line is that the songs are awesome, but they can be beyond that. The sky is the limit.”

This story was originally published on The Southerner on May 13, 2026.