Note: this page has not been updated after 1.3

Question:

Disabling a button does not work.

Answer:

Buttons that are created from a link cannot be disabled because these aren't form elements and aren't designed to be disabled. This is the reason why the HTML spec does not provide for a disabled attribute on links. To disable a link-based button, you can add the .ui-disabled class via JavaScript and prevent interaction to give it a disabled appearance.