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HISTORY

THE JAMR STORY

Our story begins with a father's love for his only child. Randolph Lopez did not know much about his daughter Laura's condition of mental retardation, but he knew he loved her. His love for her led him to England, where he learned as much as he could about mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.

At that time there was no facility in Jamaica equipped to address the special needs of mentally handicapped children. In 1956 when Randolph Lopez returned to Jamaica, he and a core group of parents and friends of children with mental retardation, worked to set up the first such establishment, The School of Hope, recently renamed the Schools of Special Education..

That core group and a number of volunteers formed The Jamaica Association for Mentally Handicapped Children. The Association's ambit soon expanded to include adults, and the organization was re-christened The Jamaica Association on Mental Retardation (JAMR).

In 1974 the Government of Jamaica joined the partnership and today The Schools of Special Education are jointly operated by JAMR and the Ministry of Education and has a network of schools in 28 locations island wide.

Volunteers, parents and professionals constitute a significant section of JAMR's membership. They all share Randolph Lopez's love for special children, and work through education, advocacy and research to improve the development and the quality of life of persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. JAMR also works closely with the Government as well as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).