A proven roadmap from curiosity to confidence—clinical low vision training, business guidance, and ongoing mentorship designed for optometrists building a low vision specialty in private practice.
Whether you're integrating low vision into an established practice or building a low vision business of your own.
Seven program milestones—training is the fourth, and thfor 4 days onsite.
SLVTI-trained doctors succeed because they receive clinical guidance, business mentorship and practical support from experienced low vision doctors and practice development mentors—within a model refined over 25 years of helping optometrists build successful low vision specialties in private practice.
From your first exploratory conversation to your first patients—and every milestone that follows—experienced low vision doctors and practice development mentors walk alongside you.
Clarify your professional goals and determine how low vision fits into the future you envision for your practice. Richard Shuldiner, OD / William Feinbloom, OD Philosophy and Methods for Providing Low Vision Care.
This begins with a conversation—about your community, your interests, and what a specialty could look like for you. There’s nothing to decide yet. Exploring is the work.
Develop the business structure and practice model that best supports your goals—whether integrating low vision into your current practice or establishing a dedicated specialty.
Start where you are. Whether you envision dedicating one day each week to low vision or building a full-time specialty, we'll help you develop a roadmap that fits your goals, your community, and your practice model. Many SLVTI-trained doctors begin far more simply than they imagined. You don't necessarily need a dedicated office, additional staff, an electronic health record, a large upfront investment, or a full-time commitment.
This is also where we look at your opportunity, where referral relationships could come from, and what the opportunity actually looks like in your community.
Together, we'll determine what best fits your goals today, knowing that it can evolve as your practice, priorities or opportunities change.
Add low vision as a specialty within your existing practice, whether you begin one day a week, expand gradually or eventually add satellite locations.
Create a separate low vision business with a model tailored to your goals—whether you're currently an associate, already own another practice or simply prefer to keep low vision separate.
Your preparation begins six to eight weeks before your training cohort—one of the greatest advantages of SLVTI. Rather than arriving with unanswered questions, you’ll arrive with a clear plan.
Before day one, you’ll build your:
so you’re positioned for success before training begins.
Every SLVTI cohort includes only two doctors. That intentional design creates an immersive learning experience unlike traditional continuing education.
You’ll evaluate real patients alongside experienced trainers, learning to apply the clinical reasoning, patient communication, and decision-making that define the SLVTI philosophy.
Each patient encounter includes the patient, a family member or support person, your trainer, and the two trainees—creating thoughtful discussions where multiple perspectives enrich every learning opportunity.
This isn’t observation. It’s participation—two of the four onsite days involve direct work with real patients.
Our goal is for you to begin seeing patients soon after returning home—not months later. That's why our partnership doesn't end when your four days of clinical training are complete.
As you build your specialty, you'll continue receiving guidance in every aspect of implementation: practice development, referral relationship building, marketing strategy, patient scheduling and workflow, equipment planning, cash flow management, clinical mentoring, and ongoing implementation support.
Whether you're preparing for your first referral meeting, working through a challenging clinical case, refining your patient experience, or making decisions about growing your practice, experienced mentors will help guide the way.
Begin at a pace that works for you—perhaps one patient a week, one dedicated day, or a morning or afternoon block. We help you protect that time, identify patients already within your practice, and build from there.
You don’t need to have every logistical detail figured out before you begin. We help you determine where and when to see patients, establish the essentials, and adapt the model as your referral relationships and patient volume grow.
SLVTI takes a thoughtful, individualized approach to geographic territories—supporting our doctors as they build their low vision practices while continuing to identify opportunities to expand access to care.
Every market is different, and the presence of an SLVTI-trained doctor nearby does not necessarily mean an opportunity is unavailable.
Whichever model you choose, you’re building more than a service—you’re becoming a trusted part of your patients’ continuum of care. Strong professional relationships and patient word of mouth help more people find you, so you can continue this meaningful work for years to come.
Reputation and referrals. You build trusted relationships with physicians, rehabilitation professionals, and community organizations—becoming the low vision resource they turn to when someone needs help beyond medical treatment.
Continuing clinical development. Complex cases, new technology, and evolving devices keep you learning. Ongoing mentorship and a community of experienced colleagues give you support as your skills and experience grow.
Refining marketing and operations. As your practice develops, we continue helping you refine scheduling, workflow, patient communication, and marketing to support your goals.
Growing sustainably. Lasting success starts with listening carefully, addressing what matters most to each patient, and recommending solutions based on their needs—not assumptions about what they can afford. That care earns the trust of patients, families, and referring professionals—building the reputation and referrals that sustain your practice.
Your relationship with SLVTI continues well past your training week—through ongoing mentorship, clinical collaboration and business guidance, alongside the opportunity to become an International Academy of Low Vision Specialists (IALVS) —IALVS Fellow within a community dedicated to advancing low vision rehabilitation.
Because the most successful doctors never stop learning—and neither do we.
Doctors who thrive in low vision—and within the SLVTI community—often have a few things in common. They enjoy solving meaningful problems. They’re naturally curious. They care deeply about improving patients’ quality of life. They understand that expertise is built over time and aren’t afraid to ask questions along the way. They value relationships—with patients, referring doctors, and colleagues. And most importantly, they care more about getting it right than having all the answers.
Every successful graduate started exactly where you are now—with a conversation. We’ll learn about your goals, answer your questions, and help you determine whether SLVTI is the right partner for your professional journey.