Channelling, Coordinating, Collaborating: A Three-Layer Framework for Disability-Centered Human-Agent Collaboration

TL;DR

This paper introduces a three-layer framework for AI to support ability-diverse collaboration, emphasizing shared understanding, workflow mediation, and joint contribution for people with disabilities.

Contribution

It presents a novel three-layer framework grounded in collaboration theories to enhance AI's role in disability-centered human-agent teamwork.

Findings

Framework extends existing collaboration models with three distinct layers.

Grounded in Ability-Diverse Collaboration and grounding theories.

Supports interdependent, collaborative work for people with disabilities.

Abstract

AI accessibility tools have mostly been designed for individual use, helping one person overcome a specific functional barrier. But for many people with disabilities, complex tasks are accomplished through collaboration with others who bring complementary abilities, not solitary effort. We propose a three-layer framework, Channelling, Coordinating, and Co-Creating, that rethinks AI's role in ability-diverse collaboration: establishing shared informational ground across abilities, mediating workflows between collaborators with different abilities, and contributing as a bounded partner toward shared goals. Grounded in the Ability-Diverse Collaboration framework, grounding theory, and Carlile's 3T framework, it extends the ``agents as remote collaborators'' vision by centring the collaborative, interdependent ways people with disabilities already work.