Disney+ is celebrating National Deaf History Month with Disney Animation's 'Songs in Sign Language'

In honor of National Deaf History Month, Disney+ is celebrating with the debut of Disney Animation's "Songs in Sign Language."

"Songs in Sign Language" will feature three animated musical sequences from fan-favorite Walt Disney Animation Studios movies. The sequences are reimagined and animated in American Sign Language (ASL).

The songs included are "We Don't Talk About Bruno" ("Encanto"), "Beyond" ("Moana 2") and "The Next Right Thing" ("Frozen 2").

Veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, producers Heather Blodget and Christina Chen worked with DJ Kurs (artistic director) and the Los Angeles Tony Award-winning Deaf West Theatre team to help create new iterations of the classic songs.

Osmond led more than 20 animators to help bring "Songs in Sign Language" to life. DJ Kurs and sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti along with eight Deaf West Theatre performers choreographed lyrics into ASL by using concepts and emotion instead of a word-for-word transcription.

Osmond, whose father is Deaf, revealed in a press release, "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 also shared two reasons for doing the 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."

As for Kurs, "When Hyrum approached me with a potential collaboration involving the integration of ASL into the fabric of Disney storytelling, it was an immediate 'yes' for us. Disney stories are the universal language of childhood. The chance to bring our language into that world was a historic opportunity to reach a global audience. Working on this project was very emotional. For so long, we have known and loved the artistic medium of Disney Animation. Here, the art form was adapting to us. I hope this unlocks possibilities in the minds and hearts of Deaf children, and that this all leads to more down the road."

Check out the "Songs in Sign Language" special behind-the-scenes featurette above.

Don't miss "Songs in Sign Language" streaming April 27 on Disney+.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney+ and this ABC station.