HIRAYA - Collective for the Blind

HIRAYA – Collective for the Blind

Alternative University

The vision of HIRAYA is to create an alternative and accessible learning space for the blind and visually impaired (VI) community in the Philippines & beyond

HIRAYA is re-imagining learning spaces that embrace curiosity, play, innovation and creative life.

This is an invitation for our blind and VI community to become playful producers in co-creative and innovation spaces – and together wonder/wander what new visions could be given birth…

Phillipines, Asia

HIRAYA Collective is a community of blind and sighted individuals – we co-create/design accessible and inclusive spaces for learning, creativity and innovation.

HIRAYA (Tagalog: imagination or vision) hosts multi-sensory learning journeys, creative residencies, community workshops such as disability sensitivity and accessibility sessions. HIRAYA actively co-creates with various communities in the Philippines and beyond.

HIRAYA offers relational and multi-sensory workshops based on six themes: LASAP (flavor & aroma), GALAW (movement & rhythm), DAMA (imaging & sensing), DIWA (words & expressions), ARUGA (wellness for all) and SAYA (play & innovation). Some workshops we do: cooking, archery and surfing for the blind, pottery, spoken poetry, theater improv, etc.

HIRAYA is a member of Project ADAM (Audio Description Awareness Movement), a coalition of 12 blind organizations and communities advocating for inclusive media through Audio Description (AD) for individuals with visual impairments in the Philippines.