If you're reading The Miracle Worker about Helen Keller, you've got a few options to try to get the kids to understand the character's perspective. One is to tell them it's tough. One is to force them to experience it, like wearing a blindfold for a day. The one I chose was for the kids to use their imaginations in common situations.
Students get the choice of which disability. Some will choose something from which a family member suffers. They imagine a day and then analyze it from their own