The British Wheelchair Athletics Association was set up in 1982 to promote track and field athletics for people who use wheelchairs due to disability. The initial aim of the BWAA was to give people with spinal cord injuries an opportunity to get involved in wheelchair field events. We remain firmly committed to that initial aim.

From 1984, no major international sporting event including wheelchair athletes has taken place without representatives of the BWAA playing a part. This has helped make the BWAA one of the most important and successful associations within the British Wheelchair Sports Foundation family.