SACRAMENTO - The United States Supreme Court, in a narrow decision, ruled 5-4 Monday in favor of disability rights advocates in a landmark decision, in Tennessee v. Lane.

Disability advocates, who earlier this year launched "crawls for justice" across the nation, hailed the decision.

The high court upheld the rights of people with disabilities under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, ruling that a person, George Lane, a person with disabilities, who had to crawl up the steps of a small-town courthouse in Tennessee for a court hearing, can sue the state because of the lack of access. While the high court's majority appeared to limit its ruling to courthouses and court services, some advocates believe the decision could be used to allow private suits or class action suits.

The federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees against discrimination on the job, and requires that public buildings and public services be open and accessible to people with disabilities.

The decision was a surprise to many observers, who expected possibly that the US Supreme Court would rule in favor of Tennessee and narrow further the scope of the Americans With Disabilities Act. The US Supreme Court has, in recent years, ruled to narrow the reach of the ADA in narrow decisions.

For a more detailed analysis, related stories and a link to the entire text of the ruling and the dissenting opinions, go to  http://www.thearclink.org/