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Characters, conflict, and yes, exploitation, that’s what reality television shows are made of. And lately, a few reality shows are hoping to build on the drama they already deliver by adding a person with a disability into that mix.

Take for example, the addition of Marlee Matlin to ABC’s sixth installment of Dancing with the Stars (premiering March 17 at 8 p.m. ET). According to Entertainment Weekly, the hearing-impaired actress and Oscar winner is part of the show’s attempt to “defy casting expectations and prejudices.”

Matlin doesn’t worry about not being able to fully hear the music. “I'll let my partner be my music,” she explained. “Dancing” fans will recall that Matlin follows Heather Mills, who wears a prosthetic leg, as one of the show’s disabled cast members. Mills wowed judges and viewers with her performances during the show’s fourth season. 

And Dancing isn’t the only show in its genre getting a little more real. The new ABC reality series Oprah’s Big Give (Sunday at 9/8 p.m. Central) features Carlana Stone, a young woman who uses a wheelchair. Along with nine other contestants, Stone will compete to make the dreams of people she doesn’t know come true.

According to Oprah’s Web site, Stone is trying to dispel the myth that people struck by tragedy are victims forever. She scuba dives, sky dives and is working on getting her pilot’s license. “I believe that my wheelchair is less of a restraint and more of a force in my life,” Stone says. “Oprah’s Big Give was an opportunity to really put that to the test. I wanted to see how well I've learned from my experiences in the face of adversity and utilize that to empower other people.”