Sign language interpretation is difficult to come by in streaming and television, but that’s slowly changing.

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When the Barbie movie was released in the summer of 2023, it generated endless social media buzz and sparked a cultural phenomenon . But some viewers couldn’t fully share in the experience.

While movie theaters occasionally offer screenings with closed captioning, American Sign Language (ASL) is the preferred language for many deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the US and parts of Canada. So when HBO Max released a version of Barbie with an ASL interpreter later that year, it marked a major step forward.

Some viewers caught on to jokes they’d missed at the movie theater. Family members were grateful they didn’t have to stand in front of the TV and sign the entire film for their kids. Instead, everyone could sit back and watch together.…