1970s to the present

In 1973, the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF) established the first sub section for wheelchair basketball. At that time ISMGF was the world governing body for all wheelchair sports.In 1989 ISMGF accepted for its former wheelchair basketball sub section to be named International Wheelchair Basketball Federation also known by the acronym IWBF.

Full independence came in 1993 with the IWBF becoming the world body for wheelchair basketball with full responsibility for development of the sport. Over the following years IWBF membership grew in size and based on the number of National Organizations for Wheelchair Basketball (NOWBs) with active programs, the international federation configured itself into four geographical zones Africa, Americas, Asia Oceania and Europe.