Judy Redlich

MEET THE REDLICH FAMILY

It is not just an average family that moved to the Hill last September. Yes, there are a mother and father and two kids and a dog and a cat and a box turtle. But, the mother has been blind from birth, and the dog is a seeing eye dog.

In September, 2007, Judy Redlich and her husband, Ray, (Vice President of New Life Evangelistic Center), their daughter, Melody, who is a senior majoring in interior design at Maryville University, and their son, David, who is a sophomore and plays football at Lutheran High South, moved to the Hill, along with Velda, a black Lab seeing eye dog.

Judy is proud to say that she was the “first blind kid in the nation to go through Lutheran parochial schools.” Her mother, a registered nurse, requested the school books months ahead, so she and Judy could work together. Twice weekly Judy went to a blind teacher’s home after school to learn how to read and write Braille. After graduating from Lutheran High South, Judy obtained a B. S. degree in Speech, Drama, and Psychology from Missouri Valley College in Marshall MO.

Judy had never owned a dog, but decided with more difficult crossings and quieter car motors, now was the time. She went to The Seeing Eye in Morristown NJ in March, 2006, and spent 26 days there. She and two other dogs interviewed each other, before she and Velda became a team. A very gentle and quiet dog, Velda is now four years old. Judy and Velda are constant companions and are in continual communication as they walk. Judy gives commands, “Forward,” “Left,” “Right,” “Rail,” to position Velda at a stair railing, and “Outside” to find the exit to leave a building. Velda stops at every corner, at curbs and steps.

Daily, they walk to work. Judy is the manager of the Gateway Office of Joni and Friends, an international disability center, whose mission is to accelerate Christian ministry in the disability community. (Read more at gateway.joniandfriends.org)

When Judy started this job in January, 2008, she and Velda had to board the #93 bus and then transfer to the MetroLink to get to work. Fortunately, in May, the office moved to Hampton at Columbia.

Judy explained that she negotiates her route by listening to traffic noises. “It is a challenge to cross Hampton at Columbia,” she said, “and I have been talking with Joe Vollmer, alderman, about the possibility of getting an audible signal at the intersection of Elizabeth and Hampton. The required pole is already in place there.”

Judy flies quite a bit on business and Velda often accompanies her. In addition to her full time job, Judy serves on the Advisory Committee for the Wolfner Library for the Blind and Visually Handicapped. She produced and hosted The Christian Connection, a weekly 30-minute interview television program featuring local affairs and inspirational topics. She is a script writer, narrator, and On the side, She works with a team to create videos to help business and non-profit organizations tell their unique stories. She plays the guitar and sings. She is a motivational speaker and is available to speak on various topics.

“Judy has a Braille Note laptop computer and a talking computer. We e mail each other. I am so impressed with Judy’s skills and her beautiful spirit,” commented Mary Balmer.

“She has a great website, judyredlich.com, if you would like to read more of her inspirational story. On this website, she describes her time in Morristown NJ learning how to work with and care for her dog. I liked reading about her family. Her husband and son go out in worst winter weather and take the homeless to shelters or provide them with food and blankets. They are an amazing family.”