Cohorts of two mean the doctors below are not lecturers. They are the people standing beside you in the exam room, and the ones still answering your questions a year after you go home.
Our Team
Meet Your Team
Founder & Lead Trainer
Dr. Richard Shuldiner
O.D, F.A.A.O.
For more than 35 years, Dr. Richard Shuldiner has dedicated his career to advancing private practice low vision rehabilitation. His passion for teaching has helped shape generations of optometrists who now serve patients throughout North America and beyond.
Known for his thoughtful clinical reasoning and patient-centered approach, Dr. Shuldiner believes that low vision care is not about selling devices—it's about restoring independence and solving meaningful functional problems for every patient.
Richard Shuldiner
OD, FAAO
Founder, Clinical Director
For more than 35 years, Dr. Richard Shuldiner has dedicated his career to advancing private practice low vision rehabilitation. His passion for teaching has helped shape generations of optometrists who now serve patients throughout North America and beyond.
Known for his thoughtful clinical reasoning and patient-centered approach, Dr. Shuldiner believes that low vision care is not about selling devices—it's about restoring independence and solving meaningful functional problems for every patient.
Susan Ackerson
MS
President
Susan Ackerson serves as President of the Shuldiner Low Vision Training Institute, where she guides practice development, business strategy, and physician mentorship before, during, and after training.
Working closely with each doctor, she helps transform clinical education into a successful and sustainable low vision specialty.
W. Jarrod Long
OD
Trainer, SLVTI-Trained, 2006
After training with Dr. Shuldiner in 2006, Dr. Jarrod Long built a successful private practice centered on low vision rehabilitation and has become a passionate educator and advocate for the specialty.
As an SLVTI trainer, he helps doctors develop the clinical confidence, practical skills, and systems needed to build rewarding low vision practices of their own.
Peter DeGraziano
OD, FAAO
Trainer, SLVTI-Trained 2019
Dr. Peter DeGraziano is an accomplished private practice low vision specialist known for his practical, encouraging teaching style.
As an SLVTI trainer, he focuses on helping doctors develop the clinical confidence, practical skills, and efficient systems needed to translate our philosophy and methodologies into exceptional patient care.
Your Next Step
Ready to Explore Whether Low Vision Is the Right Next Step in Your Professional Journey?
Whether you're looking to make a greater impact on your patients, differentiate your practice, or build a rewarding new specialty, we'd welcome the opportunity to learn more about your goals.
Let's have a conversation about whether SLVTI is the right fit for you.
Susan Ackerson reads and answers every one of these herself.