Every morning — weather permitting — Anne Baker takes her son, Michael, to Head Start.
It’s not that far; she travels from her home on Comanche Street, east to Cook Street. Then it’s north down Cook to Main Street, then east on Main Street to Head Start.
The trip is just a mile or so, but for Anne, it takes more than 30 minutes. Still, she says she enjoys the time — it’s just her and Michael.
Only Anne Baker doesn’t drive.
Neither does her husband.
And she can’t walk.
Nor can her husband.
So to get Michael to school, Anne uses her small, motorized wheelchair. She puts Michael on her lap and buckles both of them in. The boy’s small backpack is tucked next to her and they set off, moving quietly down the street.
The trees are tall and shady, and though there are few sidewalks, the traffic in the area is sparse, the neighborhood still.
Occasionally a stray dog will watch the pair, but most days it’s just Anne and her son. Very little is said, Michael is nestled on his mom’s lap and seems amazed by the outside world as Anne carefully steers her red wheelchair down the street.
Five days a week she makes the trip — once in the morning and once in the evening.
But electric wheelchairs run down quickly.
Her chair is good for about 15 miles before needing a recharge. And some days, Anne has to recharge between school trips.
“I’ve put a lot of miles on it,” she said. “It’s seen a lot more travel than just around the house.”
Diagnosed with spinal bifida at the age of 5, the 26-year-old has spent most of her life using a wheelchair.
A graduate of Norman North High School, Anne attended the Moore Norman Career Tech for a while, then, five years ago, she met her husband, Ronnie. Ronnie, like Anne, uses a wheelchair; he has muscular dystrophy.
Two years ago Michael was born.
“And he’s absolutely perfect,” she says, smiling.
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About three weeks ago, the City of Norman began a $3 million project to make major improvements along Main Street from 12th Street to Carter Street. Plans include a traffic circle, new crosswalks and sidewalks and expanding Main Street to four lanes.
“It’s a big, messy project,” said Norman’s Public Works Director Shawn O’Leary. “We’re improving a really difficult intersection at 12th Street, and the intersection at Carter and Main. We’re also widening Main to accommodate the additional traffic.”
The first phase — which has already started — involved moving utilities along a stretch of Main Street, west, between Carter Street and 12th Avenue NE.
And that means construction, holes, loose dirt and digging up sidewalks.
Sidewalks that, until now, had been Anne Baker’s route down Main Street to Head Start.
A route that, even on a bright sunny day, was a challenge; a route that, now, has become a major problem — especially following a rain.
“I don’t mind traveling like this,” she said. “I can’t really drive because I might blackout, so we go in my wheelchair. With Michael so close, I stay focused and we do pretty well.”
Until three weeks ago.
With no sidewalks along Main Street, lots of loose dirt, sand and several thunderstorms, the trip which used to take about 30 minutes has become a nightmare.
“The rain and mud are a real problem. I’ve already been stuck with Michael twice and I’m scared of getting stuck there again.”
Stuck in a wheelchair, along a busy street, in the mud, with her son — and no way to get help.
Frustrated, she spoke to a workman involved with the project.
“They talked to me a couple of weeks ago, but they didn’t know of anything they could do.”
But Anne refused to give up.
Instead, she developed a unique way of getting Michael to school. She took her usual route down city streets until she got to Main, then as she traveled east, she darted in and out of driveways, along the street, waiting for the cars to pass and avoiding the mud and holes.
“It’s kind of strange and sorta’ frightening,” she said. “But it’s been like this for at least a month. I haven’t seen any workmen in a while, so I’m doing the best I can. I go to one driveway and then another driveway wait for cars to go past, I don’t want to get run over or anything.”
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Once in a while Anne takes MetroLift — a Metro Transit vehicle which is lift-equipped for riders with disabilities.
The ride cost her $1 each way.
And, at first glance, that doesn’t seem like much.
But $2 a day adds up pretty quickly for a family that survives on about $900 per month.
“We get food stamps and SSI,” she said. “But our budget is limited and I can’t afford to do that every month.”
And so, instead, Anne, Ronnie and Michael make due.
And that means traveling to school via wheelchair.
“I’m going to take my son to school, one way or another,” she says. “That’s important.”
Still, help may be closer than she knows.
Along with his duties as the city’s public works director, Shawn O’Leary serves as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator.
And O’Leary wants to help.
“My concern is this area is gonna’ be a mess for a while,” he said. “It will be torn up for at least a year. It’s going to be a very disruptive construction zone.”
And O’Leary doesn’t want a woman — using a wheelchair with her 2-year-old son — forced to travel Main Street while it’s under construction.
“Once it’s complete, she’ll have wonderful sidewalks and crosswalks,” he said. “But that’s going to be a while.”
Instead, O’Leary is trying to arrange alternative transportation.
“Right now, we’re going to examine her route and see what we can do to facilitate a solution to her problem. I’m hoping we can find some type of transportation assistance for her. We work through it and try to help.”
Welcome news for Anne Baker.
Because for her, the task of taking her little boy to school isn’t as simple as it used to be.
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