Apple TV Debuts Human-Crafted Sign Language Overlays
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We first saw hints in tvOS 27.2 last month that Apple was preparing to bring sign language support to at least some Apple TV content. Now the company has made it official.
Today, Apple announced that viewers will have the option to watch “supported titles” with sign language interpretation starting this Friday, November 13 — to coincide with the global streaming premiere of Being Heumann, a film based on the true story of disability rights activist Judy Heumann that was directed by Siân Heder, the same director who led CODA to make Oscar history in 2022.
In Being Heumann, Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley) — scrappy, defiant, and done being treated like a burden — turns her outrage into a revolution. In San Francisco in 1977, she and more than 100 disability rights protesters organize a sit-in to send a very loud message: The system is broken — not us.
Options for American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) appeared in the settings for the TV app in Apple’s OS 27.2 updates for the Apple TV, iPhone, and its other devices. However, they don’t do much without content that actually has sign language interpretation available.
That will change this Friday, although Apple isn’t exactly opening the floodgates just yet. Being Heumann and the movie F1 are the first, while Apple has said that Way of the Warrior Kid and Greyhound will follow later this year, suggesting that it plans to continue adding ASL/BSL to both old and new Apple Original titles.
“At Apple, we believe everyone should be able to enjoy great stories and entertainment,” said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. “Bringing sign language interpretation to Apple TV is an exciting step forward in making the viewing experience more accessible and inclusive for Deaf audiences. Accessibility is a core value at Apple, and we’re proud to continue creating experiences that allow more people to enjoy the content they love.”
From the preview video that Apple shared in its press release, it appears the sign language interpreter will be shown in the bottom-right corner of the video, superimposed directly rather than being shown in an inset box.
Apple also isn’t taking any shortcuts here. This is not AI-generated, but rather “designed and tested by Deaf and native signers,” and “carefully crafted to fit and complement” each Apple Original film.
“It’s incredibly meaningful to see our beautiful language authentically represented onscreen,” said Daniel Durant, who appears in Being Heumann and directed the film’s sign language interpretation. “Bringing this experience to life required a lot of care to ensure every translation captured the emotion and meaning of the story. I’m proud to have been part of Being Heumann and thrilled to see Apple TV supporting greater accessibility for Deaf audiences.”
Apple will use a Sign Language icon to help viewers easily identify titles with sign language interpretation available. The process of enabling sign language in a given title appears to be similar to that used for turning on subtitles or changing audio tracks, with Sign Language presented as a fourth icon in the same row.
The company also plans to roll out a new “Movies & Shows with American Sign Language” collection as more supported titles become available, but for now you’ll be able to add “with ASL” to your search to find titles that feature sign language interpretation.
