There is no need to disable the airbag unless you need to remove the steering wheel horn cover to plug in the connector for the CC switch. This might be your problem if your CC does not work at all.
All you need to do to get in there is disconnect the battery cables, wait 15 minutes, pop 2 bolt circular bolt covers from the sides of the steering wheel behind the horn cover, extract 2 bolts, pull off the cover / airbag assembly gently and hold to the side. You will see the airbag connector and wire. You may leave it alone and make sure you didn't dislodge it, or you can unplug it and be sure to plug it back in when done.
You shouldn't wear any clothing which generates static while doing this (wool, fleece) and you should discharge static from your body by touching metal on the car's body (door metal), I keep my driver door open and keep my leg touching the bottom of the door when I go near the airbag, or you could get one of those anti static wriststraps from a computer store.
You'll see a small black flat plug that runs to the CC switch pod. The CC switch is actually a circuit board inside a rubber cover, it has a few silver pins that run out of it and into that black plug. Make sure it is plugged in.
If you have removed the pod cover, the only way to put it back in is to place the circuit board in the rubber cover, then snap the whole thing back in place making sure the pins go into the plug, and the plug is seated properly.
So far I've gone to LED's on both CC pods, all my instrument cluster illumination, my headlight switch and 4WD switch. Oh and my license plate lamps also.
