The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, allowed states to be sued for failing to provide disabled access to state courthouses.

The majority said the Americans With Disabilities Act authorizes money damages for not accommodating disabled people. In this case, paraplegics in Tennessee sued the state for not providing a way for them to enter a county courthouse.

In recent years, the court has shielded states from ADA lawsuits. Yesterday's ruling was seen as a victory for disabled rights but it was limited because it applied only to court access, rather than government programs as a whole.

Get the Story:
Disabled Win Right to Sue States Over Court Access (The Washington Post 5/18)
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States Can Be Liable for Not Making Courthouses Accessible (The New York Times 5/18)
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Ruling in Tennessee v. Lane, No. 02-1667:
Summary | Opinion [Stevens] | Concurrence [Souter] | Concurrence [Ginsburg] | Dissent [Rehnquist] | Dissent [Scalia] | Dissent [Thomas]