VI1 and VI2/3 categories will be held at the event, which runs from August 23 to 30 in the German town of Donaueschingen, and around 12 athletes are expected to compete.

The Para archery discipline is growing in popularity and three national teams - Australia, Great Britain and the United States - have so far committed to sending athletes to the Championships.

Other nations who wish to enter can do so before the June 25 deadline and archers will be ranked over a 72-arrow qualification round, using a full-size 80-centimetre diameter target face, over a distance of 30 metres.

It will represent another historic step for the sport as visually impaired archers last took part in the event back in 2009.

World Archery remain hopeful that Para archery will be formally recognised in world sport, with the inclusion of the two categories at the upcoming Championships providing the first step in that process.

Athletes competing in the VI1 wear blindfolds or blacked-out glasses during competition and each is permitted to have one assistant, who helps with safety issues, scoring and the positions of the arrows in the target, standing or sitting behind the shooting line.

The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) will carry out the classification of athletes prior to the start of the event, and it will be the only opportunity for archers to be classified this year.

Visually impaired athletes who wish to participate in the competition have to register before June 25, and they must then submit their medical forms to the World Archery office by July 11.

The sport of Para archery has been held at every Paralympic Games since 1960 and will feature on the Rio 2016 programme next year, although visually impaired competitions are not included.

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