LIVERMORE, Calif. — A man who didn’t walk on his own until age five because of spastic cerebral palsy has been helping Sandia National Laboratories take steps toward greater inclusion. He is now being honored by CAREERS & the disABLED magazine as an employee of the year — one of only 10 people nationwide to receive such an honor.
Dalton Bradley was honored by CAREERS and the disABLED magazine as the employee of the year from Sandia National Laboratories. (Courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories) Click the thumbnail for a high-resolution image.
Dalton Bradley grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, joined Sandia in 2014 and is now a project controller at Sandia’s lab in Livermore, California. He is committed to not allowing his challenges to limit his life.
“My brain didn’t fully develop in the womb,” Bradley explained. “The right side of my body has a lot less function and my muscles and joints are a lot weaker. I tell people to imagine doing something they do multiple times a day — like unscrewing the top of a travel coffee mug — but trying to do it with only one hand.”
While his first 18 years of life were marked by pain, surgeries and constant physical therapy, he refused to let those things define him.
“A lot of my childhood memories are me in the hospital,” he said. “It had a mental impact, I can’t deny that. But I want all the things in life that everyone wants. So, I committed myself to working harder to achieve that goal.”
Helping his peers at the labs understand the importance of valuing those around them and finding strength in every individual’s unique abilities is important to Bradley, so he took on the added commitment of co-chairing the Abilities Champions of Sandia group, which advises staff members and lab leadership about issues pertaining to the uniqueness of all people.
Bradley’s manager Orlando Casiano lauds his commitment to his co-workers and to inclusion and diversity throughout Sandia.
“Dalton is a very selfless person who puts the interest of others ahead of his own,” Casiano said. “He is a consummate team player, a dedicated project controller who prides himself in the successful delivery of the mission he is supporting.”
Bradley thanked the magazine, published by Equal Opportunity Publications, for honoring him.
“I am so grateful to my ACS co-chair Victoria Newton who nominated me and to CAREERS & the disABLED magazine for their selection,” Bradley said. “As a society, we have a long way to go to make sure every individual is valued and feels as valuable as they are. If I can play some small role in helping make that happen, then I will do all I can — for every person.”
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
Sandia news media contact: Michael Langley, mlangle@sandia.gov, 925-294-1482