A MINOR VICTORY: An important, but oft-neglected, frontier in the fight for civil rights is disability issues. But as the New York Times reported yesterday, Monday's Supreme Court decision to allow the families of students with disabilities to represent themselves when challenging their school district's plan for educating their child is a major step forward. In the past courts have often held that parents cannot challenge a school district's plan without a lawyer. Naturally this has the effect of preventing poor families, or sometimes families in remote rural areas, from being able to mount a challenge at all, since they cannot access legal representation. The Court, by a 7-2 margin, interpreted the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act as allowing parents to attempt to ensure that their child's education meets his or her needs. Who could possibly oppose that? Scalia and Thomas, natch. At least "Scalito" isn't proving to be as bad as his namesake thus far. --Ben Adler
