Ara Bagdasarian, co-founder of Solon Community Living, is passionate about his support of Issue 10, a levy to support the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Ara Bagdasarian is working hard to educate others about the importance of Issue 10, a levy to support the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

He said that he is volunteering to put up signs, speak to city council and talk to voters at the polls, because first and foremost he is a father, a father of two adults who are helped by the county’s board.

Mr. Bagdasarian and his wife Leslie are the founders of Solon Community Living, a residential community for adults with disabilities – a first of its kind in the nation. Their two adult children live in the community, along with a total of 17 residents and five caregivers.

But for this Solon couple, passing Issue 10 means that the board will be able to provide those much needed services to all county residents who need them, from birth through adulthood.

The board helps to provide safe and stable housing; personal in-home care to assist individuals with disabilities with transportation, cooking, hygiene, shopping, etc; physical, occupational and speech therapy to help people develop skills and become more independent; as well as employment assistance to help people with developmental disabilities find and keep meaningful jobs and volunteer opportunities in their community. They serve 15,000 residents in Cuyahoga County overall, 300 of whom are Solon residents.

In fact, the residents of Solon Community Living receive many of these services from the county, and according to the Bagdasarians, caregivers’ salaries are also supported by the board of developmental disabilities.

What’s most important, says Mr. Bagdasarian, is that these services “are the difference between a person living with dignity and independence in the community, and a person left without the support they need.”

Issue 10, a 2.25 mill operating levy, would cost taxpayers an additional $6.52 per $100,000 of home value.

A small price to pay to help support the community’s most vulnerable, said Mr. Bagdasarian.

The last levy for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities was passed in 2005. At that time, they promised voters that that funding would last 10 years. They have stretched that funding to last 21 years.

“The board has been good stewards of our money,” said Mr. Bagdasarian, who previously served as a board member for the Cuyahoga County Board of DD.

The slogan for support of Issue 10 is “Every Neighbor Counts.” This message is especially meaningful because according to the board, “growing diagnosis for conditions like autism, combined with shrinking state and federal support, and increasing mandates, means these services and the neighbors who depend on them are at risk.”

On Monday, Mr. Bagdasarian spoke passionately about the importance of passing this levy to the members of the Solon City Council. Last week, he stood up at the Rotary Club of Solon meeting, where he is a member, to ask fellow members to take an Issue 10 sign for their yards. He said if anyone wants more information about the work of the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, just give him a call. And on election day, he will be at the polls to remind residents of the importance of passing Issue 10.

“I can’t tell you how important this is, so many families truly depend on the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, including our family and the families of our residents and caregivers at Solon Community Living,” Mr. Bagdasarian said.

This article appeared in the October 8 issue of the Solon Times. Click here to view the full issue.