Full questions: When evaluating job candidates with an unconventional background, eg illnesses, disabilities, convictions, etc., what approaches should I adopt in addition to, or differently from, what's typically used so that I can maximize both fairness as well as my company's interests (US multi state)?

Background: This is for a start-up that I'm building. It can be difficult to compete for talents with more established businesses, so I'd like to be more open-minded, which may turn out to be win-win. At the same time, for the most part this is uncharted territory for me. I'm aware of the potential legal issues and have been careful in that repsect. But I would also like to learn from other folks who have been involved in or have knowledge of similar cases.