World Abilitysport (formerly the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation or IWAS) is an international
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
organisation that governs sports for athletes with
physical impairments.
It is a registered charity with its headquarters located at
Aylesbury College
Aylesbury College is a general further education college in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. It educates students in a broad range of vocational fields, including Creative Arts, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, Hospitality and C ...
in
Buckinghamshire. It is the international governing body for the
Paralympic
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
sport of
wheelchair fencing
Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability. Wheelchair fencing is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation that is a federation of the International Paralympic Committee, and is one o ...
, as well as
power hockey and
Para dance sport
Wheelchair DanceSport is a dance competition, individual, partner dance, partner, team and Dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair.
Sport
Wheelchair couple dances are for two wheelchair users or for one wheelchair user ...
. It also organizes the
World Abilitysport Games, an event for
Paralympic sports
The Paralympic sports comprise all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. As of 2020, the Summer Paralympics included 22 sports and 539 medal events, and the Winter Paralympics include 5 sports and disciplines and about ...
held outside of Summer Paralympic years.
History
The International Stoke Mandeville Games were the forerunner of the
Paralympic Games and followed the vision of their creator and founder,
Ludwig Guttmann
Sir Ludwig Guttmann (3 July 1899 – 18 March 1980) was a German-British neurologist who established the Stoke Mandeville Games, the sporting event for people with disabilities (PWD) that evolved in England into the Paralympic Games. A Jewis ...
.
IWAS was formed in 2005 following a merger of the International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF) (which was formerly known as the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) and the International Sports Federation of the Disabled (ISOD). ISOD had been founded by the International War Veterans Association in 1964.
In November 2022 during an Extraordinary General Assembly, the
Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association
The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association ( CPISRA) is an international sports and recreation association for cerebral palsy and related neurological conditions. CPISRA organise recreational opportunities, develop adaptiv ...
(CPISRA) and IWAS approved a merger. In April 2023, the organization rebranded as World Abilitysport.
In January 2024, it took over governance of
wheelchair dancesport from the
International Paralympic Committee.
Sports
World Abilitysport serves as the international governing body for the Paralympic sport of
wheelchair fencing
Wheelchair fencing is a version of fencing for athletes with a disability. Wheelchair fencing is governed by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation that is a federation of the International Paralympic Committee, and is one o ...
. It also serves as the governing body for two non-Paralympic sports,
power hockey and
Para dance sport
Wheelchair DanceSport is a dance competition, individual, partner dance, partner, team and Dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair.
Sport
Wheelchair couple dances are for two wheelchair users or for one wheelchair user ...
.
It also governs frame football,
frame running
Frame running, previously known as RaceRunning, is an adaptive athletic discipline, primarily for people with severe coordination and balance impairments such as cerebral palsy. Athletes use a three-wheeled running frame, with a saddle, body suppor ...
, and wheelchair slalom as "developing" sports.
See also
*
IWAS World Games
The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports (IWAS) World Games (or IWAS World Games) are a multi-sport competition for athletes with a disability, which were the forerunner of the Paralympic Games. The competition has been formerly known as t ...
References
External links
* https://www.paralympic.org/news/fie-iwas-extend-agreement
* http://www.iwasf.com/iwasf/index.cfm/iwas-news1/results-summary-iwas-wheelchair-fencing-world-cup1/
* http://www.iwasf.com/iwasf/index.cfm/sports/iwas-wheelchair-fencing/
* http://www.iwasf.com/iwasf/index.cfm/sports/iwas-wheelchair-fencing/competitions1/
* http://www.iwasf.com/iwasf/index.cfm/sports/iwas-wheelchair-fencing/history1/
*
{{International Sports Federations
Parasports organizations
Amputee organizations
International Paralympic Committee competitions
Wheelchair sports
Sport in Buckinghamshire
Charities based in Buckinghamshire
Sports organizations established in 2005
2005 establishments in the United Kingdom
International organisations based in the United Kingdom
International sports organizations