It used to be that if you were deaf and applied at UPS, there was no way you would be hired to drive a truck. This isn't true anymore, as a recent court ruling has ordered UPS to stop refusing to hire deaf individuals as drivers.
UPS claimed that its decision was not discriminatory, but rather for safety reasons. However, the court ruled that there is no evidence that a deaf driver would be any less safe than a hearing driver. Furthermore, it ruled that since UPS "tolerated" accidents by its hearing drivers, UPS could not really claim that safety was the only factor in its decision. UPS also argued that the DOT restricted deaf drivers in large vehicles, but the court advised UPS that the size of a standard UPS truck is not considered a large vehicle under DOT regulations.
The Court advised UPS that they may remove any driver - deaf or not - if they prove to be unable to drive safely during training or once on the road.
What does this mean to you? Don't use blanket "policies" that excludes any group because this is illegal. Make each decision based on an individual's ability.