“Privilege is someone looking at a set of stairs and not seeing an obstacle.” Someone recently made this powerful statement and it struck me as an interesting perspective. A few weeks later I found myself in a parking structure headed to a San Diego Padre’s baseball game. As my husband assisted me towards the elevator, we discovered that it was not working, and my only foreseeable option was to climb two flights of stairs. The immediate despair and feeling of helplessness that took hold of me came as a surprise. Although I have physical limitations, I was able to painstakingly climb each step to reach my seats at the baseball stadium.
My name is Dina Pacheco. I lead the Global Trade Compliance team and I am fortunate to work with amazing individuals that have always treated me with respect, offered me help, when possible, without treating me as “less than” and felt safe to share their own personal challenges with me.
When I started at Cubic over eight years ago, I felt ashamed of my physical limitations and made a conscious effort to hide my challenges and need for accommodation. The day I shared my health issues with my boss, was the beginning to a real awakening and personal freedom. It led to discussions with coworkers, friends and even my children. The day I shared the previously concealed side of me, was the day I started celebrating my full self.
A few months ago, I was approached to potentially join an Employee Resource Group at Cubic. I jumped at the chance and decided to take the lead of the San Diego Chapter of Cubic Abilities Network (CAN). CAN is an employee led network whose goal is to create a community for team members with disabilities and allies through education, advocacy, and networking. CAN is still a small group; we jokingly refer to ourselves as “small but mighty” as it reminds me of the amazing ability of a few to make an impactful difference for many.
Our small but mighty group, working together with other employee resource groups, are making great strides to create a more inclusive culture at Cubic. We recently celebrated being named one of the “Best Places to Work for Disability and Inclusion” in 2021. For me, being recognized by the Disability Equality Index® is a landmark of Cubic’s commitment to creating a more equitable workplace and to a culture of people who truly care for one another.
I hope by sharing my story, others can find the courage and support networks like CAN, to celebrate their full selves and experience the real awakening that I now get to live every day.
