SalvageGarden Ltd. is a volunteer-led community makerspace founded on the principle of "People-first design," challenging the high cost and limited personalisation of traditional assistive technology through affordable, open-source, and locally manufactured solutions.
SalvageGarden operates on interconnected principles that ensure persons with disabilities and their caregivers are central to the design process, challenging traditional paradigms of assistive technology development.
Persons with disabilities and their caregivers are not merely consulted but are active co-creators in the design process, participating as equals alongside makers, designers, and clinicians.
Emphasising collaboration over individual creation, recognising that the most meaningful innovations emerge from collective effort and shared learning rather than isolated technical expertise.
The needs, preferences, and lived experiences of persons with disabilities take precedence in all design decisions, ensuring assistive technology is designed with, not for, its end users.
Challenge the high cost and limited personalisation of traditional assistive technology by developing affordable, open-source, and locally manufactured solutions. Make assistive technology accessible to all, particularly focusing on underserved communities who have little to no access to conventional medical-grade assistive devices.
Co-Founder
Chief Geek at Spudnik Lab and member of the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) Supervisory Board. Chinoy has led BrailleRAP replication projects across Bhutan, Singapore, and the Philippines. Recognised speaker at OSHWA 2025 and FOSSASIA25 on open-source assistive technology. His professional network extends across EdibleMakerspace, SalvageGarden Makerspace, and SpudnikLab.
Co-Founder
Co-founded SalvageGarden in 2020 alongside Saad Chinoy, bringing expertise in community engagement and participatory design to establish Southeast Asia's first assistive technology makerspace.
Flagship Programme · Partnership with SG Enable's i'mable
Free weekly participatory design sessions bringing together persons with disabilities, caregivers, and makers in a collaborative environment. The programme operates on the principle that the process of co-creation is more important than the final product, building relationships and fostering mutual understanding.
Customisable · 2-3 Hours
Half-day hands-on workshops introducing digital fabrication for co-creation of assistive devices. Participants learn about open-source designs, design thinking, and inclusive participatory design practices, taking home a customisable 3D printed assistive device.
Healthcare Practitioners · 3 Hours
Specialised workshops for occupational therapists and healthcare practitioners, focusing on digital fabrication tools, thermoforming techniques, and creating customisable assistive devices including orthotics, splints, and prostheses.
Environmental Focus
Workshops focused on salvaging working components and reducing e-waste, engaging participants in identifying, extracting, and repurposing functional components from discarded electronics and materials.
Singapore's first makerspace-assembled open-source Braille embosser. Replicated in Bhutan, Singapore, and Philippines. Featured at OSHWA 2025 and FOSSASIA25, providing low-cost Braille printing capabilities.
PRIX ARS Electronica 2022 award-winning project. Volunteers "frankenstein-ed" functional laptops from salvaged parts to support Singapore's home-based learning and work-from-home measures during the pandemic.
Match-4 and TicTacToe T3, SuperT3, P5, and InclusiveSudoku—tactile games designed for players of all abilities, particularly persons with visual impairments, featuring distinct textures for easy differentiation.
3D printed prosthetic hand designs through partnership with e-NABLE Singapore Chapter, connecting to a global network of 40,000+ volunteers delivering free prosthetics to recipients worldwide.
Custom wheelchair joystick modifications, self-leveling cupholders for wheelchair users, and SGD coin holder cards addressing fine motor challenges in handling currency.
Co-developed an inclusive hospitality toolkit for global implementation in partnership with The Ascott Limited, focusing on accessible design in hospitality spaces.
Collaboration with Able SG focusing on accessible kitchen tools and adaptive daily living aids to support independence in culinary activities.
140+ designs distributed across Printables, Thingiverse, Cults3D, and Notion, freely accessible for global replication and adaptation.
SalvageGarden has cultivated a robust ecosystem of 13 strategic partners spanning government agencies, international networks, community organisations, and arts and education institutions.
Primary venue and program partner providing free, accessible makerspace facilities through MakeIT at Libraries initiative.
Public education initiative co-creating Make Inclusive Tech (MIT) Sundays programme.
Government digital inclusion partner connecting to Singapore's national digital inclusion movement.
EU Horizon 2020-funded platform for open-source healthcare and assistive technology.
International grassroots innovation network providing strategic global connections.
International organisation linking makers with people with disabilities globally.
Global network using 3D printing to create free prosthetic hands and arms.
Global open-source Braille embosser community.
Singapore's hub for disability services providing dedicated space for workshops.
Singapore tech-for-good partner collaborating on exhibitions and community events.
Modern co-living space for pop-up events and workshops. Co-developed an inclusive hospitality toolkit for global implementation.
Prestigious platform hosting outreach booths and exhibitions.
Collaboration on "Cooking Up Assistive" project, focusing on accessible kitchen tools and adaptive daily living aids.
Consortium focused on making arts more accessible for persons with disabilities.
Educational outreach partner engaging students in "tech for good" projects.
Educational partner bringing "Make Inclusive Tech" workshops to a formal educational fablab environment.
Founded as a pop-up "Tech4Good" Makerspace. Formalised structure with Assistive Tech exhibition in collaboration with Careables and workshops with SMUX. Official inception by Saad Chinoy and LJ Jang.
Foundational Projects & Prototyping. Moved out of Engineering Good to establish as independent entity. Received Honorary Mention in Digital Communities category at PRIX ARS Electronica. Launched community-facing 'Open Sundays' which evolved into flagship M.I.T. Sundays.
Educational Expansion & Institutional Partnerships. Brought 'Make Inclusive Tech' (M.I.T.) workshops to Singapore Polytechnic FabLab. Solidified weekly community workshop format at Punggol Regional Library.
Strategic Scaling & Global Collaboration. Advanced 3D printing workshops, e-nable Healthcare Meetup, and high-profile partnership with The Ascott Limited (lyf Funan) to co-develop an inclusive hospitality toolkit. Collaboration with Able SG on 'Cooking Up Assistive' project.
Community Maturity & National Reach. Scaled M.I.T. Sundays under the 'i'mable' banner with SG Enable, expanding reach to regional libraries island-wide. Explored industrial-scale fabrication partnerships for durable, small-batch manufactured products.
Consolidation & Advocacy. Continued momentum at Punggol Regional Library. Led strategic discussions with regional assistive tech leaders to coordinate global open-source efforts and integrate with clinical professionals.
Created a vibrant community of makers, persons with disabilities, caregivers, designers, and clinicians who engage in ongoing collaborative relationships extending beyond individual workshop sessions.
By making all designs open-source and freely available, contributed to global knowledge commons in assistive technology, enabling replication and adaptation in diverse contexts.
Demonstrated an alternative model for assistive technology development that challenges the dominance of expensive, standardised commercial solutions through participatory, open-source approaches.
Through partnerships with Careables, GIG, and e-NABLE, and presentations at international conferences, influenced global conversations about assistive technology, maker culture, and disability inclusion.
Through workshops with educational institutions like NIE and BuildingBloCS, shaping the next generation of designers, makers, and healthcare practitioners to approach assistive technology with inclusive, participatory principles.
As Southeast Asia's first assistive technology makerspace, serves as a model that can be adapted and replicated in diverse contexts, contributing to global efforts for technological advancement that benefits all members of society.