APEX

I'm using javascript to enable and disable text field items on a page based on the user's access level and role. I chose to use a script for this because every item on the page is affected, and it seemed easier to maintain and debug by collecting all the logic together. This is working great, however it isn't looking so great. The background and text colors are both grayish and the end result looks like an etch into metal plating. What I would like is for the javascript disable function to look like when I disable it through APEX, a white background text field with grayed text. How can I customize the disabled look?