Can deaf fly under sports pilot rule?

I have trained and signed off at least three pilots for a private pilot
certificate who were deaf. They did have restrictions via the medical
and even flew into controlled fields with a notice on their flight
plans for "NO RADIO" and got light signals. They simply asked someone
to open their flight plan when they took off, and closed it the same
way....via notes at the flight counter. Have had several other
"handicapped" pilots who worked around their difficulties and coped.
Two with eye problems...one eye each, one with only one hand, one with
one leg, etc.