HIRAYA - Collective for the Blind

HIRAYA – Collective for the Blind

Alternative University, Germinando

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.