Bad rsi tennis elbow hand issues. Need keyboard help build for issues.

[Sanybeah]

Any suggestions?

[granola bar enthusiast]

Have you looked at something like the Dactyl Manuform? Might be difficult to tent but fits everything else and you might be able to get someone to build it with low profile switches to reduce keytravel further

[Leslieann]

Dactyl-Manuform or Lilly 58 or similar, the big thing is get your hands apart.
Check out www.littlekeyboards.com, they have a bunch of these types of keyboards, often for cheap.

Consider something with tenting, also consider short (like Chock switches Lilly 58 has this) and/or light springs, maybe some silent/dampenned switches as well.
On springs, mid 40's is usually pretty safe with light lube, high 30's is also possible if you're careful with lube and switch choice, super tactile will hang on return.  This doesn't make bottoming out softer, but you press less hard so if you do bottom out it's less stress. The Choc switches are short throw.

If you have a 3d printer there is also a ton of designs out there, including printable versions of these and can be built insanely cheap and allow you to mod them however you need.

[granola bar enthusiast]

PCBWay also has some cnc and 3d printing services, you might be able to take the CAD's of one of the open-source ergo boards and get it 3d printed and just have to buy the pcb from them, saving money.

[controller-works]

If you really want to minimize hand movement you might want to look at low profile split keyboards with a fewer number of keys. I have been using a variant of the Corne for about nine months. It is really comfortable once you get used to it. It has three rows of six keys, then three thumb keys on each hand. Each finger only needs to move one space in any direction to type.
We have some pre-built ones with aluminum cases ready to go at Controller (dot) works. We do not have a tented version, however. With lighter force low profile switches, it is very easy to type on.