Sharing Abilities and Disabilities

Children laughed, shouted and skipped backward as pop music played in the background Tuesday at Wallace R. Davis Elementary School in Santa Ana.

But this time around, the activity leader was Jeff Andrews, 11, who moved his wheelchair backward as almost two dozen of his classmates followed.

The students were participating in Easter Seal’s first after-school sports program in Orange County that mixes disabled children with those without disabilities, giving both groups a better understanding of each other.

“It’s using sports to change mind-sets,” said Easter Seal spokeswoman Michele Johnsen, whose organization aims to integrate the children with learning and physical disabilities into basketball, baseball and other activities.

The $11,000 pilot program is being funded with a grant from the city of Santa Ana and a private donation, program coordinator Laura Sanchez said.

The program, free to the students, will last until May. Officials then will evaluate the program to decide whether it should continue.

Leo Ramos, who has three children with mild learning disabilities participating in the program, said such activities are important.

“Any time you integrate something like this, it wakes up the other kids,” Ramos, 42, said as he watched the activities.