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Wheelchair Dance Sport began in Sweden. In 1968, Els-Britt Larsson, a wheelchair user, was one of the first people to develop wheelchair dancing. The popularity of wheelchair dancing grew enough to have the very first competition in 1975; with 30 couples. In 1977, the first international competition took place, and a year later, the first World Championships were held in Japan. In 1978, wheelchair dance sport became an official sport by Governance and Management Authority of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Wheelchair Dance Sport is a partner or group dance competition, and where the dancer(s) have a physical disability (specifically the lower limbs). This type of competition involves combi-style dancing with a nondisabled dance partner or duo dance with two wheelchair dancers. The styles of dance for competition are the same as for mainstream ballroom dance, which are the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot, quickstep; and Latin-American styles: the samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, Paso Doble, and jive.

Competition in Wheelchair Dance Sport is defined by dances and forms

Dances:
- Standard dances include the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot, and quickstep.
- Latin-American dances include the samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, and jive.

Forms:
- Combi dance - a wheelchair user dances with an nondisabled partner.
- Duo dance - two wheelchair-users dance together.
- Group dance - wheelchair users only or together with nondisabled partners.
- Single dance - a wheelchair user dances alone.

The Rules of Competition

• A dance couple must be comprised of a male and a female partner, one of whom must be a wheelchair user with at least a minimal disability that makes walking impossible.
• Participants with disabilities in the lower parts of their bodies such as amputation, paralysis, cerebral palsy, and leg shortening (at least 7 cm) are eligible for competition.
• Participants are expected to have normal upper-body functions.
• There are two functional classes based on ability to maneuver a wheelchair, trunk rotation, and arm function.
• In all rounds of International Wheelchair Dance Sport Competitions, the music is played for a minimum of 1 1/2 minutes for waltz, tango, slow foxtrot, quickstep, samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, and paso doble.
• The time for the Viennese waltz and jive is 1 minute.
• In the qualifying rounds, the same music must be played for different heats.
• International Wheelchair Dance Sport Competitions are comprised of at least two qualifying rounds to allow couples the opportunity of dancing twice. The number of rounds is determined by the number of participants.
• At least 50% of participating couples are recalled to the next round, except for the final.
• Winners are selected by a panel of judges from varying countries.

Equipment Details
- Dance Floor: The surface of the dance floor must be a minimum of 200 square meters, with no side of the floor less than 10m in length.
- Wheelchair: Participants in Wheelchair Dance Sport have the option of using electric wheelchairs if necessary.