The BBC, ITV and Channel 4 announced today that Audio Description – a service which enables viewers with sight problems to follow television programmes without having to guess or ask someone what's happening on screen - is now available via Sky.

Following an announcement in June that the service was to be offered, the three parties have now successfully trialled Audio Description on digital satellite, and it is now available to all digital satellite viewers.

Audio Description, or AD, provides spoken details of key visual elements - such as change of location, actions, facial expressions, gestures, even the clothes people are wearing - giving blind people the context and helping them set the scene and follow the action.

The AD is fitted in between existing dialogue and commentary without interrupting the flow of the programme.

The BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Five are committed to audio describing at least six per cent of their output in 2005.

Programmes described include the most popular soaps like EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, dramas such as Ny-Lon, Holby City, Nip/Tuck and The Streets of San Francisco, and comedies like Friends and Sex and the City.

Children's programming like Blue Peter, The Hoobs and Fimbles feature this service also.

The BBC's Audio Description service is accessible via BBC One London (channel 944 for viewers outside the region), BBC Two England (channel 959 for viewers outside the region), BBC Three, BBC Four, CBeebies and the CBBC Channel.

ITV’s service can be found on ITV1 London (channel 963 for viewers outside the region), and Channel Four’s service is available on EPG number 104 for viewers in London or channel 964 for viewers outside the region. Five's service is already available on 105.

To enable Audio Description digital satellite viewers need to:

Select 'Services' on the Sky remote
Select no 4 - System Setup
Select no 3 - Languages & Subtitles
Set Favourite Language/Audio to 'Narrative'
Arrow key down and 'Save New Settings'
Press the 'Sky' button to return to the programme