Because of modern medicine, the diseases which used to kill people now disable us. But I'll cover that in the automobile insurance section. My point is, it's the insurance policies and components of insurance policies which many times are the most important. For the most part, if a person is disabled for six months, the probability is that the person will be disabled for 4-5 years or longer. Disability insurance replaces your income should you become disabled and unable to work.
Many people have some form of disability insurance through their employer.
However, you should check the type of coverage from your employer very carefully. The employers policy may not be just what your need. In this case, you will probably want to supplement the employer's policy with an individual policy of your own. This period may vary. However, I recommend 60 days from the inception of the disability.