Disney is setting a new benchmark for inclusivity, one track at a time. Yep, the film production and distribution company is honoring National Deaf History Month by releasing music videos for three of its popular tracks in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre. These will feature beloved characters such as Elsa, Moana, and Mirabel singing in American Sign Language. Excited? Check out other important details below!
Disney to drop ASL-interpreted songs with popular characters
Many creators have offered ASL versions of their multiple movies and music videos in the past. They have pulled it off by providing an on-screen interpreter for the Deaf community. But never in the history of cinema has any company had its characters re-perform the same content using American Sign Language. Well, Disney just did it. The reimagined tracks include The Next Right Thing from Frozen 2, We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto, and Beyond from Moana 2. These songs will premiere on Disney+ on April 27.
Overseeing the revolutionary project is Disney’s veteran animator and director Hyrum Osmond, who teamed up with art director DJ Kurs and folks at Deaf West Theater. The project features 20 animators who used sign language references from the company’s Songs in Sign Language series. “In the majority of cases, we created entirely new animation,” he said in a press release. “There were a lot of adjustments that we had to do within the animation to be true to the original intention.”
Meanwhile, this project holds special significance for Hyrum, whose father, Virl, has a hearing impairment. Osmond revealed he didn’t learn ASL in his early years, and it kept him from connecting with his father. But now that he’s familiar with it, the veteran views it as one of the most beautiful ways of communication.
“If ever there was a medium to showcase sign language, it was animation,” Osmond said. “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.” Releasing songs and movies with ASL interpretation remains rare, but some recent developments show promise.
In 2023, SignUp, an extension of Google Chrome, took a major step for inclusivity by launching an ASL-friendly version. These involved 60 movies that were available on OTT platforms such as Disney+ and Netflix. The move inspired other platforms to introduce similar options in their movie collections. HBO Max offered ASL interpretations of movies, including Barbie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and A Minecraft Movie. What are your thoughts on Disney’s musical move? Do you think it’s a big step towards filling a gap?
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