496
Stevens, J., dissenting
nine Federal Courts of Appeals to address the issue,1 and by all three of the Executive agencies that have issued regulations or interpretive bulletins construing the statute— namely, that the statute defines "disability" without regard to ameliorative measures—it would still be necessary to decide whether that general rule should be applied to what might be characterized as a "minor, trivial impairment." Arnold v. United Parcel Service, Inc., 136 F. 3d 854, 866, n. 10 (CA1 1998) (holding that unmitigated state is determinative but suggesting that it "might reach a different result" in a case in which "a simple, inexpensive remedy," such as eyeglasses, is available "that can provide total and relatively permanent control of all symptoms"). See also Washington v. HCA Health Servs. of Texas, 152 F. 3d 464 (CA5 1998) (same), cert. pending, No. 98-1365. I shall therefore first consider impairments that Congress surely had in mind before turning to the special facts of this case.
I
"As in all cases of statutory construction, our task is to interpret the words of [the statute] in light of the purposes Congress sought to serve." Chapman v. Houston Welfare Rights Organization, 441 U. S. 600, 608 (1979). Congress
1 See Bartlett v. New York State Bd. of Law Examiners, 156 F. 3d 321, 329 (CA2 1998), cert. pending, No. 98-1285; Washington v. HCA Health Servs. of Texas, 152 F. 3d 464, 470-471 (CA5 1998), cert. pending, No. 98-1365; Baert v. Euclid Beverage, Ltd., 149 F. 3d 626, 629-630 (CA7 1998); Arnold v. United Parcel Service, Inc., 136 F. 3d 854, 859-866 (CA1 1998); Matcza v. Frankford Candy & Chocolate Co., 136 F. 3d 933, 937-938 (CA3 1997); Doane v. Omaha, 115 F. 3d 624, 627 (CA8 1997); Harris v. H & W Contracting Co., 102 F. 3d 516, 520-521 (CA11 1996); Holihan v. Lucky Stores, Inc., 87 F. 3d 362, 366 (CA9 1996). While a Sixth Circuit decision could be read as expressing doubt about the majority rule, see Gilday v. Mecosta County, 124 F. 3d 760, 766-768 (1997) (Kennedy, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part); id., at 768 (Guy, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part), the sole holding contrary to this line of authority is the Tenth Circuit's opinion that the Court affirms today.
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