Josh Staub has had quite a career. The renowned Disney animator and visual effects artist has worked on some of the biggest hits of the modern era, including Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, and the iconic Frozen—which is more of a phenomenon than just a film.

But despite the accolades, he was ready for a new challenge. A few years ago, he began developing a script for a new animated series—a project that would take him on an incredible and unexpected journey.

New project sparks a deep connection with the Deaf community

Staub began developing an idea for an animated series that would tackle big themes of family, empathy, and the ways we communicate with one another. There was just one complication: the animated family at the core of the series would include characters who are deaf.

Staub knew that if he wanted to pursue this idea, called Small Talk, he couldn’t simply translate parts of his script into American Sign Language for the animation. As a hearing person, he needed to really learn much more about Deaf culture and the community behind it.

He began learning ASL from a Deaf teacher, which he says is the absolute best way to learn. Staub took to the lessons immediately, writing in a LinkedIn post, “I began learning about Deaf culture and fell in love with the Deaf community, forging deep friendships.”

The people he met as he forged friendships within........

© Upworthy