Understanding the World Through Color Blind Eyes

Often misunderstood, color blindness is not a "black and white world." Let's break down the basic science, the myths that circulate, and the government policy polemics that often thwart the careers of people with color blindness.

1. What is Color Blindness? (Science & Facts)

Color Vision Deficiency is a condition where the eyes experience a decreased ability to distinguish certain colors. This occurs due to abnormalities in the cone cells in the retina of the eye.

• Normal Vision (Trichromacy): Has 3 types of cone cells (Red, Green, Blue) that work perfectly.
• Color Blindness (Anomalous Trichromacy): One of the cone cells is weak. The most common is a weakness in the Red-Green sensor.

2. Types of Color Blindness

Not all color blindness is the same. There are several main types:

• Protanopia (Red-Blind): Difficulty seeing red light. Red colors appear dark or brownish.
• Deuteranopia (Green-Blind): The most common type. Difficulty distinguishing green and red.
• Tritanopia (Blue-Blind): Very rare. Difficulty distinguishing blue and yellow.

3. The Affirmative Action Polemic: Civil Service & LPDP Scholarships

This is the hottest issue in Indonesia. Many young Indonesian talents fail to achieve their dreams just because they failed the Ishihara test. The big question is: "Can I apply through the Disability/Affirmative track if I am color blind?"

Why is that? People with color blindness are often in a "Squeezed Position":

• In the General Track, they are rejected because the health requirement is "Must be Free from Color Blindness".
• In the Disability Track, they are rejected because they are considered "Physically Complete" and able to be independent without assistive devices.