The American Council of Live Insurers estimates that one third of all adults between the ages of 35 and 65 become disabled for a period of 90 days or more, and one in seven workers will become disabled for more than five years. Can you afford to live and take care of your family for 3 months or 5 years without income? Probably not! Many people wrongly believe that long-term disability is usually a result of a major accident or some rare cause, but the reality is, most adults become unable to work due to illnesses like heart disease or cancer.