Could you add a new key binding for a command key?
The idea would be that you could hit this key and it would open the chat bar with a '/' already there.

alias typingishard "prompt '/'"
bind w typingishard

Thank you. I was not aware of the prompt command. It is only a partial solution though, since it doesn't work when the PDA is open. Still, something is better than nothing.

Hell half the keys in the PDA have 2 or 3 binds attached. Even if there was a key for chat, you would just end up opening the nav menu and setting a course instead.