 Sepp <unk> , a pioneer of snow sports for disabled athletes , was a double @-@ leg amputee Austrian skier who experimented skiing using prosthetics . His work helped pioneer technological advances for people with disabilities who wished to participate in winter sports . Advances were slow and it was not until 1974 that the first official world ski competition for physically impaired athletes , featuring downhill and a cross @-@ country skiing , was held . The first Winter Paralympics were held in 1976 at Örnsköldsvik , Sweden from February 21 – 28 . Alpine and Nordic skiing for amputees and visually impaired athletes where the main events but ice sledge racing was included as a demonstration event . There were 198 participating athletes from 16 countries , and it was the first time athletes with impairments other than wheelchair athletes were permitted to compete . 
