When Darkness Becomes a Challenge: How Blackouts Affect Women with Disabilities in Ukraine
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The beginning of January was marked by extremely low temperatures and Russia’s largest attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure, resulting in prolonged, nationwide blackouts across Ukraine. In Dnipropetrovsk region alone, more than 800,000 consumers were left without electricity, and in Dnipro the loss of power triggered disruptions to water supply, heating, and communications.
For every Ukrainian, a blackout means inconvenience. But for people with disabilities, darkness and the lack of electricity can quickly become a risk to safety and health.
We spoke with Olena Osadcha, a woman with a disability and head of the NGO “I Know You Can” in Dnipro, about the city’s total blackout on 7 January and about how power outages affect the lives of women with disabilities.
A day and a half without communication
“Dnipro is a frontline city. We have almost gotten used to power outages. But there had never been anything like what happened on 7 January. There was no communication, no internet, no heating, no water. I had no electricity for a day and a half.”
Olena says what frightened her most was not the darkness itself, but the complete information silence. Without mobile service or internet, it was impossible to read the news or receive air raid alerts.
“For the first two hours there was still a connection and everyone was calling each other. And then the connection disappeared. And all of this was happening while explosions continued in the city until morning. You couldn’t read what was flying where, or whether there were any strikes,” Olena says.
According to her, panic in the city escalated very quickly. People were buying up water, ATMs were not working, and rumours about how long the outage would last kept spreading, with no way to verify information.
“Some people started saying the blackout would last four days, others said a week. Some said banks wouldn’t work. But what do people do if their money is on cards? For example, I receive social benefits on my card, and my mother receives her salary on a card. And you worry, because if this blackout lasts a week, how will we be able to buy anything?”
Olena Osadcha could use a gas stove to cook or heat food. However, when the electricity went out, she was left without heating.
However, an additional challenge for her was charging her wheelchair: the batteries require a lot of power, and regular power banks are not suitable. During the total blackout, when it was impossible to charge from the grid, this became a critical issue.
“That’s why I moved into an indoor chair. And my mother, who helps me, pushed me around the house, I didn’t go anywhere. Charging the wheelchair from the generator would have been too expensive for me,” Olena says.
Olena Osadcha, a woman with disabilities, at home in Dnipro during a complete power outage. January 8, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of Olena Osadcha
Olena stresses that for women with disabilities who live alone, especially those in multi-storey apartment buildings, this blackout was a difficult experience.
“In some apartments it was plus 13 degrees. That’s very cold. They had no water. They couldn’t even use the toilet because there was nothing to flush with. They have no relatives, and a social worker comes only three times a week. I don’t know how these people survive,” Olena says.
Power outages since autumn 2025: “We have no electricity for 17–18 hours a day”
Blackouts have become part of everyday life in Ukraine. Olena says that since October 2025, Dnipro has been without electricity for most of the day, and the short hours “with power” must be split between work, household tasks, and basic needs.
“We have no electricity for 17–18 hours a day. We had to get used to it and adapt,” Olena says.
For people with disabilities, one of the most painful consequences of blackouts is their critical dependence on a barrier-free environment. When there is no power, elevators do not work, and outage schedules do not always match what is announced. As a result, even a simple trip outside becomes a risk.
“In apartments where women with disabilities live, the elevator doesn’t work. They stay alone at home because they are afraid that if they go out, they could get stuck in the elevator. Or it’s unclear when they would be able to get back up,” Olena says.
When outages last most of the day, it also becomes harder to cook and store food.
“And those who cannot fully take care of themselves have to ask someone to help them cook. With frequent blackouts, you have to cook something again and again, because otherwise everything spoils. And what if a woman has no one to ask?” Olena says.
When outages overlap with constant shelling and overall uncertainty, Olena describes feelings of helplessness that become especially common for people with disabilities.
“People are exhausted, they don’t know what to expect. People are already broken. Psychological support is badly needed,” Olena says.
Together with UN Women and WPHF
Olena Osadcha heads the NGO “I Know You Can” in Dnipro. The organization supports girls and women with disabilities, as well as mothers of children with disabilities.
In 2025, Olena’s team implemented activities as a sub-grantee under a project run by the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine, with technical support from UN Women Ukraine and funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
Activities included women’s leadership trainings, legal consultations, psychological support groups, and humanitarian assistance.
“We wanted women to know their rights, to have support, to understand where to turn in cases of discrimination or crisis. But most importantly, we wanted them to know they matter,” Olena says.
One of the project’s key components was food packages for women with disabilities: 100 women received them.
“Food prices rise every day, but social benefits do not. For many, a food package is a chance to survive. And although we cannot support them constantly, it is good that through this one-off assistance we can take care of them,” Olena says.
Another important strand of the work was psychological support groups. They were facilitated by an experienced psychologist who works with women with disabilities. 27 women took part.
And although the psychological support activity ended before the blackouts began, it became an important source of support for participants living under constant stress due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Darkness is not only about the lack of light
After the blackout of 7 January, Olena emphasizes the main point: for women with disabilities, darkness is rarely only about the absence of light. It is about dependence on infrastructure, access to information, the ability to ask for and receive help, and how quickly a person can end up alone with a problem.
Even though Dnipro lives under the constant threat of attacks, Olena has consciously chosen not to leave. She says what keeps her there is responsibility and love for home.
“People told me: why don’t you evacuate? But I can’t. This is my home, my city, my country. If I leave, who will stay to help? If the situation becomes truly dangerous, I will be forced to leave. But as long as I can, I will stay,” Olena says.
Olena Osadcha, a woman with disabilities and Head of the NGO "I Know You Can". Dnipro, Ukraine. July 2025. Photo Credit: UN Women Ukraine / Sofia Patricia Munoz Gonzalez
Asked what she would say to other women with disabilities who are going through these difficult times, Olena answers simply:
“I would like to tell every woman with a disability: yes, it’s scary right now. But you are not alone. We are here. Believe in yourself. Believe in our country,” Olena says.
The activities implemented in Dnipro were carried out by the NGO “I KNOW YOU CAN” within the project “Humanitarian Response and Recovery: Strengthening the Leadership of Organizations of Women with Disabilities,” implemented by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine with technical support from UN Women Ukraine and funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism that supports high-quality interventions to strengthen the capacity of local women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key opportunities for peacebuilding.
The views and opinions expressed in this text are those of the individuals featured and do not necessarily reflect the views of UN Women, the organizations, or the donors supporting the project.