I'm a non-native English speaker applying for immigration to Canada. I'm required to the take general IELTS test. It costs $210 in my country. I suffer from cerebral palsy, my writing speed is slow, my handwriting is bad.
English tests are easy. At university, I got 95/100 in advanced English course. I used to finish my tests before other students because the questions were silly, and I didn't have to use scratch paper for essays. I was able to write everything directly on the test paper, which gave me huge advantage.
It has been two years since my last English course, so my English skills have decreased a bit. I don't know if I can do the same things when taking the IELTS. I might need more time to finish it. If I take any risk and fail due to time or my handwriting, it means I'll have to pay another $200.
But if I apply for the special requirements test, it would take 2 to 3 month to get an approval before I can take the test. Moreover, I'm afraid that by taking that test, I might damage my immigration application.
Being labeled a disabled person already damages my chances. Being labeled a disabled person who can't write English without special tools kills my chances. I don't need special tools, I just need more time, to finish it and to try and make my handwriting prettier.