Today, 24 February marks four years since the war in Ukraine began.
Amid ongoing attacks and unimaginable challenges, local disability rights activists continue to defend the rights of their communities while providing vital support to those most in need. The European Disability movement stands firmly alongside them, reaffirming our commitment to solidarity, advocacy, and support.
The European Disability Forum expresses deep and unwavering solidarity with all persons with disabilities in Ukraine.
We do not forget you. Slava Ukraini.
Statement by our member the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine
Blackouts in Ukraine: a humanitarian crisis for persons with disabilities, children, older people, and veterans
Mass power outages in Ukraine are a direct consequence of Russia’s systematic attacks on energy infrastructure. The country is experiencing one of the harshest winters in recent years: in some regions temperatures drop to –25°C, and millions of people are left without electricity, heating, and water. In some residential buildings, indoor temperatures fluctuate between –5°C and +3°C.
One of Kyiv’s largest thermal power plants has been destroyed. Since early January, entire districts with a combined population of over one million people have been without basic utilities. The attacks have had a cross-border impact: power outages have already been recorded in Moldova and Romania, demonstrating the scale of destabilization of the region’s energy system.
For many people, blackouts are an inconvenience.
For persons with disabilities, children, older people, and veterans, they are a direct threat to life, health, safety, and dignity.
Amid electricity cuts, Ukrainians try to adapt by using generators and charging stations. However, such equipment is expensive and inaccessible to most of the population, especially to vulnerable groups.
Without electricity, it is impossible to charge bionic prostheses, electric wheelchairs, hearing aids, medical devices, and communication tools. This results in the loss of mobility, independence, and the ability to evacuate in case of danger.
Not all persons with disabilities, older people, or veterans live on ground floors or in buildings with backup power. During blackouts, elevators do not operate or break down—even in new buildings.
For a person who uses a wheelchair or has a mobility impairment, an elevator is often the only way to leave their home.
Without electricity, an apartment turns into a trap. People are forced to plan every movement by the minute, adjusting to short intervals when power is available, and often remain at home for weeks without essential medicines and food. Some shops, pharmacies, and doctors cannot operate without electricity. As a result, persons with disabilities withdraw from social life and live in constant fear of being “stuck”—either at home or outside.
In conditions of ice, darkness, and lack of power for electric transport, older people and persons with disabilities often physically cannot leave their homes or reach shelters during air-raid alerts.
Power outages also complicate everyday movement in cities: electric public transport stops operating, metro services are forced to shut down, overcrowding occurs, and buses deployed to replace electric transport often lack accessible entrances and wheelchair spaces.
In Kyiv, there have been cases where people spent more than an hour and a half in complete darkness inside metro tunnels. For children, older people, persons with disabilities, and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorders, this creates serious risks to mental health.
Blackouts severely disrupt the functioning of the healthcare system. Electricity is critical for the operation of medical facilities, electronic appointment systems, and rehabilitation centers. During outages, appointments are canceled or postponed, rehabilitation courses are interrupted, and people lose progress and face deterioration in their health.
A separate challenge is home medical equipment that cannot function without electricity: inhalers, electric suction devices, physiotherapy equipment, and devices used to care for people with limited mobility and children with disabilities.
Power banks and charging stations can provide only partial relief and cannot ensure stable operation during prolonged outages.
For people with hearing impairments, children, and older people, the absence of electricity and internet means losing access to vital information about air-raid alerts, emergencies, and changes in the operation of transport, hospitals, and social services. Online notifications are often the only accessible communication channel; without them, people are left in an information vacuum, with no alternative accessible alert systems.
Blackouts and extreme cold amid constant shelling deliver an invisible but profound blow to mental health. Chronic instability, cold, darkness, isolation, and loss of control over daily life lead to increased anxiety and depression, exacerbation of post-traumatic conditions among veterans, deterioration of children’s emotional well-being, and heightened feelings of helplessness and loneliness among older people.
The humanitarian catastrophe Ukraine is facing today is a human rights issue. Access to housing, healthcare, information, mobility, and safety are fundamental human rights, not privileges. Blackouts have exposed systemic failures: the absence of mandatory backup power for elevators, inaccessible shelters, and a lack of crisis plans tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities, children, older people, and veterans.
Blackouts in Ukraine are not only about darkness. They are about restricted freedom of movement, threats to health, social isolation, and survival risks for millions of people. This is a test not only of the energy system, but also of society’s ability to protect human rights during wartime.
In the context of war and energy instability, it is crucial to remember those for whom every power outage can become a critical moment between safety and danger, autonomy and complete dependence.
Our work in Ukraine
Access to improved living conditions and inclusive humanitarian aid is a basic right for all. The Empower Ukraine project supports the inclusion of at-risk groups across six regions of Ukraine, focusing on food security, livelihoods, protection, shelter, and health.