Disable Date Fields

Question

I am using javascript to disable date fields, so the users are forced to use the date pickers. The field is disabled and the date picker works but when I save the record the entry in the date field disappears.
Page Header
<script language="JavaScript1.1" type="text/javascript">
function disFormItems(item1){
disItem = document.getElementById(item1);
disItem.style.background = '#ffffff';
disItem.disabled = true;
</script>
Region Footer
<script language="JavaScript1.1" type="text/javascript">
disFormItems('P1_TEXT_AREA');
</script>
Any ideas
Gus

Answer 1

Tried as you suggested. The filed is disabled but there is no button for the calendar.
Changed date field to text and in post element I copied:
<script type="text/javascript">
function genCal0_p_t16_18()
w = open("wwv_flow_utilities.show_as_popup_calendar" +
"?p_element_index=" + escape('p_t16') +
"&p_form_index=" + escape('0') +
"&p_date_format=" + escape('DD-MON-YY') +
"&p_bgcolor=" + escape('#666666') +
"&p_dd=" + escape('') +
"&p_hh=" + escape('') +
"&p_mi=" + escape('') +
"&p_pm=" +
"&p_yyyy=" + escape('2006') +
"&p_lang=" + escape('en-gb') +
"&p_application_format=" + escape('Y') +
"&p_mm=" + escape('12'),
"winLov",
"Scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,width=258,height=210");
if (w.opener == null)
w.opener = self;
w.focus();
</script>
Is this correct
Gus