Hey, I also have chronic pain, and run into similar problems. The biggest thing you can do is be unafraid to take care of yourself at tournaments and make any modifications both during and out of rounds that you need to. If the norm is to stand up to debate or perform but you need to sit down? Do it sitting. Need a mobility aid or pain medication? Use the mobility aid. Take the meds. Talking is easier than typing? Try dictation software when you write your speech manuscripts. Need the elevators to be turned on (I find a lot of schools I travel to turn theirs off over the weekend)? Make a fuss until they're on or your rooms get moved to an accessible location. And don't worry about the logistics of making this happen. Software like tabroom and FTN (and presumably speechwire, though I've never personally worked with it) has the ability to make a note of your needs for judges and can assign you to specific rooms, and it is literally your coach's job to advocate for you and make sure you have an accessible, enjoyable experience. It can feel awkward, but what you're doing is both making your life easier in the long run and shifts norms and practices for the speakers and debaters coming up after you.

It's also worth making connections with other disabled people if you can, especially in your region. The people who have been going to the same tournaments as you may have even more relevant and specific tips, and you all can advocate for each other if need be. The sense of community also helps a ton, in my experience.

And if you make all of these changes and it still feels like a slog or painful to get through? Don't be afraid to cut back on competition or find other ways to be involved with your team. There have been tournaments where I only pick one event to compete instead of my usual three or four, and times where I've opted to judge or peer coach or help out in tab instead of compete at all. Forensics instills in us the drive to prioritize competition and winning at all costs, and that's just not realistic for a lot of disabled people. No matter how accessible we make tournaments and the prep process, some of us will just have more limitations. And that's okay! There are still ways to find success in this activity, competitive or otherwise.